


Just Let Me Adore You

by thatsoundsgood



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, American Sign Language, BAMF Louis Tomlinson, Bad Parenting, Blow Jobs, Bottom Louis Tomlinson, Chicago (City), Consensual Infidelity, Deaf Character, F/M, Famous Harry, Hand Jobs, Happy Ending, Harry Styles Loves Louis Tomlinson, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Infidelity, Inspired by Shameless (US), Internalized Homophobia, Liam Payne & Louis Tomlinson Are Brothers, M/M, Non-Famous Louis Tomlinson, Overprotective Louis Tomlinson, Poor Louis Tomlinson, Prep School, Prom, Rich Harry, Scholarship student, Self-Discovery, Siblings, Smart Louis Tomlinson, South side Louis, Top Harry Styles, Yungblud is a good friend, also Niall, louis tomlinson is a good brother
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:20:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28242294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatsoundsgood/pseuds/thatsoundsgood
Summary: “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”“I thought…” Harry’s cheeks were stained red as he stared at Louis, more particularly Louis’ lips, “aren’t you gay?“Umm yeah and the whole school knows that after your girlfriend outed me on the junior retreat last year. I could’ve lost my scholarship if it wasn’t for my exemplary record.” Louis scoffed, “What is this? Some sort of prank?”“No, Louis no.” Harry shook his head trying to deescalate the angry boy, “I didn’t know she did that. We were in different sections!”“Yeah right.” Louis rolled his eyes.“I didn’t know.” Harry reached out a hand, “I swear it's not a joke, Louis.”The smaller boy bit the inside of his cheek, “What about your girlfriend?”“She gave me a hall pass.”“A hall pass?” Louis asked, a flush settling on his cheeks.“Like a free cheat, you know?”“No, I don’t know, Harry.” Louis scoffed, ripping his wrist from Harry’s grip and started packing up his things, “I have a 4.5 GPA, do you think I have time to learn stupid lingo to talk to people who pull shit like this on me?”“Louis.” Harry sighed, voice dropping low into a whine, “Please, don’t leave.”
Relationships: Ashley Benson/Cara Delevigne, Camille Rowe/Harry Styles, Dominic Harrison YungBlud/Louis tomlinson, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne/Gemma Styles, Sarah Jones/Mitch Rowland
Comments: 56
Kudos: 183





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Shamless AU in the sense, that I was inspired by the show. I picture the house to be the same and took some themes from the show but there will be no character cross over. You definitely don't have to know anything about Shameless to understand this story.

Gemma saw him first from across the dance floor, he was leaning in faded jeans and talking exuberantly with the bartender. She didn’t think much before she got up from the VIP booth and took steps to leave, “Where are you going, bitch?”

Gemma rolled her eyes at her roommate who has been annoying her all night, all year really, “I’m going to find someone to take me home.”

“What?” Sammie asked, “I thought you were going to get back with Ethan?”

“I never said that.” She just shook her head and told Sammie that she could leave without her and then disappeared into the crowd. Gemma was a smart girl and she knew that at twenty one, she could get her way with a flip of her hair and a soft smile. She leaned against the bar right next to the handsome man with the puppy dog eyes, licking her lips.

He casually glanced to see who was next to him before doing a double take, Gemma found she had a taker, he released a nervous breath in greeting, “Hello there.”

“Hi.” She fluttered her eyelashes up at the man, before holding out her hand, “I’m Gemma.”

“Liam.” He responded holding onto her hand a moment too long, “Can I buy you drink?”

She smiled and nodded and that began their hour long conversation. Gemma thought she was in for a steamy dance and a one night stand but after only five minutes of back and forward, she saw something more in the man. He talked passionately and tilted his head in to catch every word leaving Gemma’s lips. His eyes were so big and kind, her face grew warm from the intensity of the stare.

Her ex, Ethan, never cared what she had to say. He was only interested in building connections with her father and fixing his way into marrying into the infamous Styles’ family.

Outside the club Liam asked, “Can I get you an Uber?”

“An Uber?” She thought about it, she’d only had one drink all night because she got so carried away talking with the nice new boy in front of her now, “How about you take me home?”

“My home?” Liam asked suddenly with wide eyes.

“Yeah.” She nodded, confident.

“Honey, I live on the southside.” He explained, “A pretty and nicely dressed little thing like you doesn’t belong over there.”

She pouted but the idea of this boy being slightly dangerous only excited her more, “You’ll keep me safe. Right?”

The pair found themselves giggling and pressing kisses into each other’s mouths as they made their way down the hall of the shabby and messy house. Liam shushed her when they reached the bedroom and shoved her down onto the bed. She giggled playfully pulling him down onto her and continuing their make out session.

Right when it was about to get steamy, Liam had his shirt off and Gemma was about to disrobe hers. There was a knock and the pair paused, “Do you have roommates?” That would make sense since he lived in a house.

“Umm sort of.” Liam whispered and then slightly louder added, in an overly nice voice, “Whose there?” When the door was pressed open Gemma was a little surprised to find a little boy there, small and crying, “Another nightmare, bug?”

The boy nodded and clutched a blanket close to his body, “C-c-can I sleep with you?”

Liam sighed and shot this girl who was way too hot to have to deal with this an apologetic look before nodding, “Yeah, bug. Come here.” The boy crawled into the bed and snuggled up to the man with the man, finally noticing the platinum blonde woman beside him.

“Who are you?” He sniffled and looked up to her with big blue eyes and she just took it in stride, smiling kindly.

“I’m Gemma.” She reached a hand out between them and he giggled slightly shaking it, “What’s your name?”

“Louis.” His voice was reedy with sleep, so without much ado, he turned around and snuggled into Liam. Falling asleep in just moments.

The pair shared a long look before they both went to speak at the same time Liam muttering, “Sorry I know this isn’t what you signed up for.”

Gemma asked, “Is he yours?”

“No.” Liam shook his head laughing, “He’s my brother.”

“Oh.” She nodded, looking over the boy carefully, “How old is he?”

“Nine.” Liam responded, “Look I can get you an Uber.”

“Are you kicking me out?” She whispered playfully, eyeing the man who now looked up at her with surprise.

“No.” He responded a little too quickly, “I mean. I just thought you might think it’s weird to be in bed with this guy you were about to hook up with and his nine-year-old brother.”

She shrugged , “He’s cute like his brother.”

Liam nodded, smiling down at Louis who was puffing soft breaths against Liam’s chest, “yeah.”

“Do your parents live here?” She asked uneasily. That would be too awkward to have them walk in.

“No.” He shook his head, “We never really know where they are.”

“Oh?” She asked, confused.

He sighed and decided, why not? Let’s just be as transparent as possible, “They’re both alcoholic drug users, they kind of show up every so often and drop off another kid or try to steal what little money we have.”

“Another kid?” Gemma asks, “How many are you hiding in here?”

“Just the three of us now.” He shrugs, “Louis is nine. Niall is five.”

“How old are you?” Gemma asked.

“I’m nineteen.” He blushes, looking down embarrassed. Gemma was shocked that this man was two years younger than her. His well filled out form, larger arms, and facial hair allow him to pass for five years older.

“How were you in that club tonight?”

“I bartend there.” He explained, “I know the owner and the tips are really good and it’s the only way I can pay to keep the boys and the house together.”

She nodded, her heart melting, “You’re a good brother.”

He shook his head, “This isn’t scaring you off? The sob story?”

“Nah.” She shook her head and brought a hand to rub down the little boy’s back, “I have a brother at home, about the same age, and I don’t think I’d be able to do what you do. I think you’re amazing, Liam.”

Liam blushed looking down, a feeling of relief washing over him at finally having someone to talk to without being judged. If only just for one night, “You want to hear more?”

She nodded, “But I have to warn you, I’m studying childhood psychology in school so I might psychoanalyze you.”

He chuckled, “I’ll take that risk.” 

He went on to explain the reason behind his brother's nightmares and his shitty childhood. The fact that he never really had anyone and that’s why he’d do anything to make sure his brothers never felt that way. He'd never let them feel abandoned. 

And Gemma listened and nodded. It was almost seven in the morning when the pair found the sun peeking through the windows and each knowing such intimate truths about the other. They just clicked. Gemma told Liam about her wealthy but cold father and she didn’t feel judged either. Liam just understood and she liked that.

Liam woke with a worried start and the smell of something cooking, after only sleeping an hour. He jumped from bed and rushed down the stairs, worried that Louis was trying to cook again. He instead found Gemma there, in one of his shirts sporting a messy bun. She looked like a breath of fresh air easily flipping pancakes and listening to a giggling Niall talk about soccer and a shy Louis watching with big and appraising eyes.

“Hey?” Liam asked from his spot by the kitchen door.

“Liam!” Niall grinned, “Gemma’s making pancakes!”

“I see that.” He smiled and made his way across the kitchen, “You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to.” She smiled easily, “I was up, and you looked tired so I thought I’d show the little guys here how to make some proper breakfast.”

Liam licked his lips and nodded enjoying the way Louis smiled happily and Niall watched the pancakes with big and hungry eyes. He let himself feel something like hope for the first time in a while.

“I tried to break up with her last night but she said ‘no’.” Harry sank lower while complaining in the passenger seat of his best friend Mitch’s range rover. 

“She said ‘no’?” Mitch actually had the audacity to laugh, like this was funny. 

“Yeah!” Harry groaned, lifting his foot to press against the dashboard, “Like I told her I thought I wasn’t straight and she literally just said ‘no’. What am I supposed to do?” 

“Uhhh I don’t know, man. I guess marry her and then surround yourself with handsome pool boys?” 

“Uggg.” Harry slammed his head back, “Like it isn’t bad enough that my dad would beat my ass if he found out I even had a tiny not straight thought.” 

“What do you mean, not straight?” Kendall almost shouted. 

“Can you be any louder?” Camille shot her a death glare, “He said he thought he might be not straight and he didn’t want to lead me on or whatever but I told him no.” 

“You told him ‘no’?” Cara asked incredulously, “He tried to break up with you and you said no?”

“Yeah, I said ‘no’! He’s not breaking up with me right before prom of senior year!” Camille rolled her eyes, mentally telling herself she needed to find better friends, “I’m not going alone!” 

“So what’re you going to do?” Cara asked, pretending like that wasn’t a slight at her because she was by all appearances going alone. 

“I don’t know.” Camille shook her head, “If he wasn’t so rich I’d try to blackmail him.” 

“What about a hall pass?” Kendall asked, “I gave Ben one last year when he wanted to try to fuck someone from the southside.” 

“The southside?” Cara asked, “Like he wanted to fuck someone poor?” 

“No I mean like someone…” Kendall paused and looked around, “...more like him.” 

“You mean black?” Cara rolled her eyes, “You know you can say ‘Black’ it’s not a bad word.” 

“I know that.” 

“Can you two shut up.” Camille pressed her hands into her temples like she had a headache, “Kendall, you think I should give him a hall pass to sleep with a guy?”

“Yeah.” Kendall nodded, “it worked with Ben. He slept with one person and was totally over it.” 

“But who?” Camille asked watching the students filter into the school, “I can’t have Harry liking them more than me.” 

“What about him?” Kendall nodded as Louis Tomlinson, who looked a little raggidier than usual sporting a ripped knee on his uniform pants, like he fell on the way in. His bag was at least ten years old. Not to mention, he always looked exhausted and he was set to be the valedictorian of their class come graduation. 

“He’s perfect.” Camille nodded, “He’ll be too busy with his studies and he’s poor. Definitely a faggot. Harry could never catch feelings.” 

“Come on guys.” Cara was frowning, “He’s actually really nice and hardworking. He doesn’t need the mind games.” 

“What?” Kendall rolled her eyes, “Do you feel bad? Might want to check yourself before someone starts thinking you’re a dyke, too.” 

“Fuck you, Kendall.” Cara pushed off the wall, slamming her shoulder into Mitch as Harry and him passed her on their way to Camille. 


	2. Chapter 2

_ “Shhhhh,” Liam laughed pressing a finger over Gemma’s mouth, his own lips brushing her shoulder as they sat on the floor of the kitchen, It was way past midnight but Gemma waited up for Liam and she giggled as he spoke about his night, “We can’t wake up the kids.” _

_ “Then stop being so funny.” The girl punched Liam’s shoulder, “Plus it wouldn’t be so bad.” _

_ “What?” Liam chuckled, “Giving an old lady a lapdance, I beg to differ. There is no money in the world that would make that worth it.”  _

_ “No, I meant it wouldn’t be so bad if the kids joined us. I like having them around.” Liam stared at Gemma for a long moment, tilting her head, softly whispering, “What? Why’re you looking at me like that?” _

_ “I love you.” Liam stated and when Gemma shifted back in surprise the man, continued, “Shit, sorry.” _

_ “No.” Gemma stopped him, “No. I uhh I love you too.”  _

_ Liam’s grin was a little too large, “cool.”  _

_ “cool.” _

Louis Tomlinson, Harry pondered staring the other boy down across the hall. He wasn’t Harry’s first thought when Camille offered a ‘hall pass’ but he certainly wasn’t something to laugh at. The boy was cute by all standards, even in his hand me down clothes there was no hiding it. Even those tattered pants couldn’t hide his spectacular ass. 

Harry found himself watching the way the boy’s shoulder caved in as he leaned against his locker. At just 5’ 7” he was shorter than most boys in their grade, easily able to sink into the background. Maybe that’s why Harry never really noticed- _ noticed _ -him before. 

The taller boy started forward, pausing beside Louis’ locker, “Hey.” 

Louis didn’t even react, just continued swapping out textbooks like Harry hadn’t said a word, “Hey, you’re Louis right?” 

The boy who always wore a more than serious face, glanced at Harry and nodded, “Yeah.” 

“I’m Harry.” Harry stuck out his hand but Louis just glanced at it while shutting his locker. His perfectly upturned nose wrinkling in confusion. 

“I know.” 

“Ok.” Harry nodded, taking the pinched words in stride. People usually fawned over Harry if not for his good looks than for his father’s money, “How are you, today?” 

“I’m fine.” Louis shrugged, “I have to go. Do you need something?” 

“Uhh yeah.” Harry tried to grasp for straws, “I’m looking for a tutor?” 

“A tutor?” The smaller boy questioned, “in what?”  
Taking in the physic book in Louis’ arms, he whispered, “Physics?” 

“Are you in physics?” Louis looked him up and down, “I’m in the AP section and I T.A. the honors section. I haven’t seen you in either.”

“I’m in the remedial section.” Harry lied, dumbly. Wincing at the way that sounded.

“And you need tutoring?” Louis shifted his weight onto his one hip, drawing Harry’s eyes down to his hands. His hands were small like Camille’s, maybe even smaller. Harry unconsciously licked his lips at the idea of how big his dick would look in them. 

“Yeah, I’m really struggling.” Harry lied again, trying to will away the beginnings of a stiffy, “And I would pay you well.” 

So Louis found himself following Harry through the door to The Styles mansion in the nice part of Chicago. He knew that Harry was rich, in fact he knew most of the people he went to school with were loaded but this place was Nice. 

So nice Louis’ jaw dropped when he saw a real genuine Degas just sitting in the entryway, ripe for the taking. That painting alone would pay for Louis’ little shack of a house a hundred times over. 

“Is that a Degas?” Louis asked, while toeing off his shoes.

Harry glanced up from his phone for a second before nodding, “I think so, if not it’s a Renoir. We have a few around the house.” 

Louis muttered under his breath, “only a few.”

“What was that?” Harry threw over his shoulder nodding for Louis to follow.

“Nothing.” 

Once in Harry's room, Louis lingered in the doorway as the taller boy dropped his bag on the ground and went to stand near the desk, “I was thinking we could do it here?” Louis nodded before pulling his physics book from his bag and taking the seat Harry brought over.

“So force times acceleration is mass?” Harry mumbled, staring at the side of Louis' face a little too intensely. He nervously took in the little freckles littering his cheek and the way his eyelashes fluttered while he read. How could he have never noticed this boy before? 

His mind wandered to the prospect of Louis under him, or of the boy simply sleeping beside him. A nervous swelling in his stomach quickly turned to something intensely dirty when he dreamt up what Louis’ morning hair would look like or the way his back would arch when he stretched. His cheeks flamed at his body’s reaction to things that were not even remotely sexual. Why couldn’t he just be like a normal teenager? Getting hardons for their hot english teacher?

“No. F=ma.” Louis’ eyes were locked on the text book between them, “ Harry this was literally seven quizzes and two tests ago. Do you really not know that?” 

When Louis finally looked up Harry couldn’t look away quick enough, “Uhhh… no I know.” 

“Were you just staring at me?” Louis asked completely no nonsense, “Is this some sort of…” the smaller boy was cut off by Harry’s mouth landing on his. Harry’s sweaty hands clamped around Louis’ worn blazer. Immediately the smaller boy gasped and Harry slipped his tongue past Louis' lips and moaned when they slid together. 

Louis’ fingers, thawed slowly grasping softly on Harry’s pressed uniform. Gasping delicately when Harry’s teeth gently nibbled over his bottom lip. It took an embarrassingly long time for Louis to process that this wasn’t right, this boy should not be kissing him. But eventually he pushed back and Harry’s wheeled office chair scooted an inch or two across the floor, “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“I thought…” Harry’s cheeks were stained red as he stared at Louis, more particularly Louis’ lips, “aren’t you gay? 

“Umm yeah and the whole school knows that after your girlfriend outed me on the junior retreat last year. I could’ve lost my scholarship if it wasn’t for my exemplary record.” Louis scoffed, “What is this? Some sort of prank?”

“No, Louis no.” Harry shook his head trying to deescalate the angry boy. But as he took in the fuming beauty in a crumpled uniform he found he looked more like a cute kitten than an angry tiger. A smile unconsciously growing on his face, “I didn’t know she did that. We were in different sections!”

“Yeah right.” Louis rolled his eyes.

“I didn’t know.” Harry reached out a hand, “I swear it's not a joke, Louis.”

The smaller boy bit the inside of his cheek, “What about your girlfriend?”

“She gave me a hall pass.” 

“A hall pass?” Louis asked, a flush settling on his cheeks. 

“Like a free cheat, you know?” 

“No, I don’t know, Harry.” Louis scoffed, ripping his wrist from Harry’s grip and started packing up his things, “I have a 4.5 GPA, do you think I have time to learn stupid lingo to talk to people who pull shit like this on me?” 

“Louis.” Harry sighed, voice dropping low into a whine, “Please, don’t leave.” 

“You’re not even in physics are you?” Louis just rolled his eyes when Harry shook his head. 

“This is a waste of my time.” Louis stood to leave but Harry took one last chance grabbing Louis by the wrist and pulling him in. Louis landed hard on the other boy’s lap bracing himself on his shoulders. 

“Please.” Harry whispered, tilting his head so that his lips slotted against Louis, just a gentle kiss, “It’s not a joke. It’s not a prank. I just like you.” 

“Well, what if you’re not my type?” Louis whispered back, his lips brushing Harry’s but not pulling away, 

“Am I not?” Louis’ heart stuttered at the way Harry batted his eyelashes and pouted his lip. He swallowed trying to ignore the way Harry’s large hand felt grasping his hips.

Louis swallowed thickly, his eyes sinking to Harry’s lips, before just settling entirely on Harry’s lap. Their lips met again in full. A crushing, hard kiss that left no room for questions. He slipped his fingers into Harry’s curls and the taller boy’s moans were swallowed whole. 

“Fuck.” Harry whispered, between kisses, Louis’ lips tracing his pulse along his neck, while Harry’s hands worked their way onto Louis’ bum, “Your ass is…” 

“Shut up.” Louis husked out, pressing their lips back together. Despite working his ass off to get a 4.5 GPA and an acceptance letter to the University of Chicago with a full ride scholarship attached, Louis wasn’t a virgin. Harry’s lap wasn’t the first lap he crawled into and when he felt Harry’s sizable package poking his ass, he just ground harder. Louis’ hips made smooth circles, while Harry’s hands gripped his waist harder. 

The taller boy was a good kisser, fisting his hand in Louis’ hair just right and nibbling over Louis’ bottom lip. Louis took a moment to breath, opening his eyes for just a millisecond, huffing in surprise to find Harry’s eyes already open. Like he never closed them. 

“Why’re your eyes open?” Louis panted, biting his lip. 

“I-i-i” Harry stuttered, before whispering into the hallow of Louis’ jaw, “I didn’t want to look away.” 

Louis hated how terribly sappy that sounded. He hated the way his heartbeat ramped up and his stomach fluttered at the nearly unearned devotion in the other man’s voice. So he just pressed his lips back to Harry’s and allowed what ever that was to sink into nothing. Just the feeling of Harry’s tongue inside his mouth and the grind of Harry’s cock against his clothed ass. Their moans were muted compared to the intensity going into the moment until Harry’s lips stilled suddenly. Louis paused pulling his head back, dazed, and looking over Harry’s face for a reason why their make out suddenly came to a stop. 

The larger boy’s face was red and his lips hung open in what could only be horror, “What’s wrong? You don’t like it anymore?” 

Harry shook his head, “No, that’s not…” 

Louis cocked his head, “What? Why’d you stop?” 

“Umm…” Harry hummed again but then Louis felt it, a wet spot underneath him. 

He jumped out of Harry’s lap and looked to where he’d just been seated, “Harry did you just…” 

“I just came.” Harry huffed throwing his head back, “Fuck.” 

“I-I-I have to go.” Louis blushed, pulling his bag onto his back again and rushing towards the door. 

“Wait, I can drive you home!” Harry stood but Louis just looked over his shoulder, eyes darting to Harry’s crotch before shaking his head. 

“I’ll take the El.” Louis mumbled then disappeared. Harry would have chased him but he had to change his pants and he honestly didn’t need to see that look again. He didn’t need to hear it to know how incredibly dumb he just looked. 

_ “Gem, Gem, Gem, Gem!” Niall sang, dancing around the woman as they walked down the street. Gemma’s class had gotten out early and Liam called her panicking. Apparently Niall got in a fight at school, even though he was in the kindergarten. Since Liam was working his second job at the gas station no one could pick up the boy, so Gemma did.  _

_ “Gemma, honey! Is that you?” The girl froze, what’re the chances her mother would be walking the streets of Chicago the same day, she was walking Niall to her apartment. When she turned she found not only her mom but Harry as well.  _

_ “Hey, mom.” Gemma smiled uneasily, taking in the way her mom had her arm around Harry’s shoulder and the way she was inspecting the little boy beside her.  _

_ “Whose this?” Anne asked, smiling kindly down at the little boy.  _

_ “I’m Niall!” He shouted, grabbing Gemma’s hand.  _

_ “He’s one of my patients.” Gemma lied, she technically wasn’t a practicing psychologist yet, but her mother didn’t know that. And Liam taught Niall to go along with a lie from the time he could talk, so she knew Niall would follow suit.  _

_ “Oh, how nice.” She smiled, “A little outdoors therapy on a nice day like today.” Anne nodded, the woman was so incredibly used to years of avoidance that she would have accepted any answer Gemma gave her, “We were just leaving the hospital. Your brother broke his arm.”  _

_ And Gemma noticed the cast on his arm for the first time, “Oh wow, what happened?”  _

_ He glared up at her sulkily, “It’s your fault, because you painted my nails.” _

_ Gemma’s eyebrows shot up on her forehead, turning to her mother, “He didn’t?”  _

_ “I don’t know what either of you are talking about.” Anne looked to Harry firmly, “Harry fell.”  _

_ Harry, even at ten years of age, met her with defiant eyes, “Dad broke my arm. I’ll lie to the hospital but I won’t lie to Gemma.”  _

_ Gemma sighed, “Mom, how long are we going to put up with this?”  _

_ Then Niall broke in, smiling easily at Harry, “My daddy broke my arm once too! Pushed me down the stairs and Liam had to bring me to the hospital. Did you get a lollipop too?”  _

_ Everyone paused, then Anne shook her head, “We’ll talk about this later.”  _


	3. Chapter 3

Harry held his phone above his head, waiting for Mitch to pick up his facetime, “Harold.” 

“Mitchell.” Harry sighed, sadly. 

“Why the long face, my friend?” Mitch asked, Harry could see the other boy walking around his family’s apartment. Catching glimpses of statues and a picturesque view of the city. 

“I’m going to tell you something but you can’t tell anyone.” 

“Who am I going to tell?” Mitch scoffed. 

“Uh, Sarah, Camille, the whole fucking school.” Harry rolled over in his bed dramatically. 

“The whole school.” Mitch laughed, “I can say with certainty that I don’t know or care to know most of the people at that school. Just tell me Harry I won’t tell anyone.” 

“Ok, well Louis came over for ‘tutoring’,” Harry began. 

“Oh yeah?” Mitch raised his eyebrows suggestively, “Did he teach you a thing or two?” 

“Yeah well.” Harry hid half his face in the bed, “I creamed myself when he sat on my lap.” 

“Are you shitting me?” Mitch laughed but then got serious, “Harry, look me in the eyes. Are you serious?” 

Harry lifted his head, blushing furiously, “Yeah.” 

“Mr. I had to take a viagra at seventeen to get it up for a literal model came in his pants from what… a handy?” Harry rolled his eyes, he didn’t need to be reminded of last years prom when Camille begged him to fuck her and he couldn’t get it up. So he had to sneak one of his father’s viagras. 

“No.”

“No, that didn’t happen or?” Mitch asked. 

“No. He didn’t give me a handy. He sat on my lap and I came in my pants after he kissed me a little.” 

“How long?” 

“Five minutes tops.” Harry shook his head, hand landing a little too hard on his forehead, “What the fuck is wrong with me?” 

“Do you want me to answer that?” Mitch asked, and when Harry just sent him a sad look, he sighed, “Harry do you think that you might be gay? Like not bi but just..” 

“Maybe.” 

“Do you have any sexual feelings towards women?” Mitch was actually trying to help but Harry was too embarrassed. 

“Fuck, my dad is going to kill me.” Harry looked to his ceiling in utter hopelessness, then he heard the knock on his door, “Speaking of which, I gotta go, Mitch. Please, don’t tell anyone.” 

“I won’t, Haz.”

“Come in.” Harry yelled once he hung up the call, his mother entered like most mother’s do. Eyes trying to nonchalantly take in his room, hands picking up dirty clothes. 

“I saw your friend on the way out.” She stated, clearly still in her work clothes, “He seemed very nice.” 

“My friend?” Harry asked and then sighed, “Louis?” 

“Yeah!” She smiled, happily, “He said you two were studying?” 

“Yeah.” Harry nodded, “Umm... he’s gonna be the valedictorian. He’s very smart.” 

“Oh!” Her eyes lit up, “How nice! I’m glad you’ve made such good friends at your school.” 

“Yup.” Harry nodded, sitting up in his bed, “What’s up?” 

Anne paused near the desk, “Your sister is coming to dinner tonight so please try not to start a fight with her.” 

“We don’t fight.” Harry shook his head, “Sometime we bicker but that’s what siblings do.” 

“I know.” She sighed, “But I love Gemma and your father and her already butt heads all the time so I would just appreciate it if you made her feel welcome.” 

“Of course, Mom.” Harry sighed, standing and walking over to her, “You know I love Gemma.” 

“Thank you.” Anne's smile faded a little and she brushed the tail ends of his son's hair away from his neck, “You might want to cover that up so your father doesn’t see it.” 

Harry furrowed his eyebrows pulling his phone camera up to find a hickey on his neck. It was almost too light to even notice behind his hair but she was right, his father would catch it. His eyes widen before stuttering, “T-t-that’s from Camille.” 

Her lips twitched into a melancholy smile, “Of course.” She pat his shoulder, lovingly, before walking to the door but stopping just short of leaving, “You should have your friend over again. Maybe for dinner sometime? He was a sweet boy.” 

Harry nodded, dropping his eyes, “See you at dinner, mom.” 

“I love you, Harry.” He could feel her eyes on him, like she knew. But she couldn’t possibly know he was just making out with a boy in his room. He didn’t know if he was being paranoid until she added, “No matter what.” 

“Love you, too, mom.” 

The Friday after their tutor session Harry arrived to school with his pulse racing. Anyone at St. Francis Academy in their right mind would tell the whole school about the future prom king’s incident. How could he not? But walking through the halls no one gave him a look other than the usual casual greetings. No one even glanced at him oddly except for Louis who he spotted across the hall. 

The smaller boy's cheeks flushed and he quickly walked away before Harry could stop him, not that he really had anything to say. But as time drew on Harry realized Louis wasn’t planning on telling anyone and his nervousness faded to longing. He wanted Louis again, under him, over him, really anyway he could get him. He even had one particularly embarrassing dream that he shamelessly tried to convince himself didn't star Louis. 

So after an entire week of coy looks across the hall, Harry finally cornered Louis again. Finding the shorter boy leaning against the wall outside the library, Harry pressed his hand against the bricks beside his head. Feigning a casualness he didn’t feel, “Hey!” 

Louis looked up at him idly, “Hey?” 

The taller boy pulled something from his pocket and shoved it into Louis’ hand. Louis' blue eyes bulged at the one hundred dollar bill in his hand, “I forgot to pay you last week.” 

Louis looked to the money in his hand before shaking his head, “I’m not a prostitute, Harry.”

“I know.” Harry fumbled with his words, he didn’t even think about that. He was honestly just using it as an excuse to talk to the other boy, “I-I-I just want you to know that I value your time.” 

Louis bit his lip but pocketed the money, he’s not really in the position to be throwing away a hundred bucks, “I’m not going to tell anyone.” 

“Oh cool.” Harry sighed, licking his lips, confirming his assumption, “What’re you doing after school today?” 

“Why?” Louis looked distrustful, eyeing up and down the empty hall.

“I was wondering if you’d be interested in tutoring me again?” Harry popped his lips and shot the other boy a goofy smile. God, he wanted to feel the heat of Louis’ cheek against his lips. Taste the heat of his skin, against his tongue. 

Louis’ eyes narrowed before shrugging, “I guess.” 

“Yeah?” Harry’s smile was so genuine, it seemed as though Louis couldn’t help but quirk one of his own. During his three years here at St. Francis he had perfected the art of camouflage. People spoke over his head, like he wasn't even there, and even though he tried to block it out he heard the gossip. He’s heard rumour after rumour of Harry flying girls out to Aspen to have orgies in a hot tub. He’s heard Harry and Camille secretly had sex in the bell tower, he’s heard it all. 

But the boy leaning over him with a goofy grin, who was so ardent in his need when holding Louis close to him last week, didn’t seem capable. For the first time Louis wondered how much of the persona that was Harry Styles was actually true. Almost without reason, Louis poked Harry’s dimple, rolling his eyes, “Yeah, I can tutor you.” 

“Ok, I’ll meet you after school.” Harry brushed hair out of Louis’ eyes, his fingers lingering near his ear. He looked around before dropping lower and kissing Louis’ cheek. The flush that spread from where his lips touched was enough to quicken Harry’s heart. His lips lingered much too long and almost unconsciously he brushed his thumb over the heated skin on Louis' opposite cheek. 

Louis ducked his head, and Harry ducked his as well, to meet his eyes. What a pair these two would make from afar, Harry whispered, “Hmm, I can’t wait.” 

Louis nodded, pursing his lips when he heard footsteps coming this way. Harry pushed off the wall with a final nod and started to walk away when he heard it, “Ahh, hello there.” Stopping dead in his tracks, Harry turned and watched Mitch shaking Louis’ hand, “I’m Mitch.” 

His smile a little too excited, Harry panicked thinking Mitch would scare him off. 

“Louis.” Louis nodded his way, eyeing up the other boy.

“I know.” He grinned happily, taking in Louis’ heated face, “Harry told me.” 

Louis shot Harry a weird look before excusing himself altogether, “Why did you do that?” 

“What?” Mitch smiled cheekily, “Say hi to the boy you get all hot and bothered over.” Harry rolled his eyes, “Come on, Harry. You don’t get it both ways. You can’t kiss him in the hall and then expect your best friend in the whole world to not introduce himself.” 

“I didn’t kiss him in the hall.” Harry lied, cheeks getting heated. 

“I saw some kissing.”  Mitch looked around before whispering, “Aren’t you afraid you’ll pop a boner?”

Harry slugged him in the arm, “I’m never telling you anything again and it was a kiss on the cheek.” 

“Some might say that’s more romantic than a kiss on the lips.” Mitch shrugged, and Harry just punched him again. 

“You’re lucky I like you.”

“You’re lucky I keep you humble.” Mitch countered wrapping his arm around Harry’s shoulder. 

_ Gemma’s head rested on Liam’s chest, his heart beat and the ambient sounds of the city lulling her to sleep, “How’d I get so lucky?”  _

_ “Lucky?” She pressed the question into his chest.  _

_ “To find you.” Liam whispered, his fingers digging in to message her scalp, “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”  _

_ She cocked her head, so that her chin rested on his chest now, “I’d say I’m the lucky one.” _

_ “How do you figure?” He chuckled, eyeing his undecorated bedroom. A room that was much more function than warm, “I don’t want to sell myself short but there’s not a lot to offer here.”  _

_ “You are everything I ever prayed for.” She accented her words with soft kisses across his neck, “I wanted a family and you gave me one.”  _

_ “Hmm…” He hummed, “You wanted siblings and no parents. No Desmond.”  _

_ “I just want him gone.” She shook her head, “I wish he would leave us alone. Leave my mom and my brother. Let us live.” She muttered sadly, "I'm scared he won't stop until we're all ruined."  _

_ “Do you want me to do something about it?” Liam whispered, holding to the back of her head in a comforting hand. His thoughts caught on all the terrible things Gemma had told him about her father. When he first heard it, he felt oddly comforted by the fact that money doesn’t make people better. It doesn’t stop parents from hurting their children, it just holds them less accountable. _

_ “I can’t lose you, Li.” Gemma laughed, sullenly, “I’m praying it’ll work itself out.”  _


	4. Chapter 4

Louis paced outside the school checking his watch before sighing. Harry was late and the boy already had an anxious feeling that this was all a joke anyways, so he started towards the direction of the El. Halting when a large hand grasped his elbow, “Where are you going?” 

Louis turned around, looking Harry over, “You’re late.” 

“Sorry,” Harry actually looked a little bashful, nodding towards the girl behind him, “I was helping Sarah with her art project.” 

“Oh.” Louis licked his lips, he knew of Sarah, in the same way he knew of Mitch and Camille and even Harry until last week. 

“Sorry.” She shot him a soft smile that actually seemed genuine, “I’m in AP art and I needed to get pictures of Harry’s hands before the weekend.” 

“His hands?” Louis asked, glancing down to take in Harry’s hands. With a class ring and another bulky ring on his fingers they were nice to look at. Better to feel, Louis would argue.

“Yeah. I’m recreating the ‘Praying Hands’ by Durer but with a modern take.” Sarah nodded, to the hands in question, “I’m thinking about using Harry’s for one of my pieces.”

“Oh cool.” Louis nodded. 

“Notice,” Harry nudged Louis’ playfully, like they were good friends, “She chose my hands and not her boyfriends.”

“Boyfriend?” Louis asked, looking between the two. If you asked Louis he would have said Sarah was not straight. With chunky dangling earrings and brightly colored eyeshadow she was an individual even stuck in the monochrome uniform.

“Mitch.” Sarah said a little stiffly, “And I’m using his hands too, so you’re not special.” 

“Sar, you might want to watch out. People are going to think you have a hand kink.” Harry chuckled, unconsciously throughout the conversation moving closer to Louis until he was right beside him. His fingers dangling dangerously close to Louis’ own.

“You’re one to talk about kinks.” She shot back quickly, eyes tracing to Louis who watched the two in confusion. Harry told her about them?

“What?” Louis whispered, because no way did Harry tell her about their last tutoring session. No way did the most popular boy, the golden boy tell anyone that he was hooking up with Louis. 

“Did he tell you?” Harry’s face fell, serious in a second, face heating with embarrassment.

“Tell me what?” Sarah pursed her lips, playing coy. 

“That I creamed myself when Louis sat on my lap?” Harry was outraged that Mitch would betray him like that. His voice rising with embarrassment. 

“What?!” Louis gasped covering his mouth, how could he just announce that so easily.

Sarah’s lips fell wide open before she broke into a laugh, “What? No! I was literally just talking about you hooking up.” Then she turned to Louis with glee, “You didn’t even touch him?” 

Louis’ face was bright red, before five minutes ago he never even spoke to this girl and now she was prying into his sex life, “Don’t answer that, Lou.” Harry shook his head, “Sarah, you can go.” 

“No, I think I need to hear more about this.” She giggled more, stepping closer to Louis who pressed closer to Harry beside him, “Louis, please I need to hear more.” 

Harry quickly stepped between them, his hand wrapped tightly around Louis’ wrist, “Sar, I’m serious. Stop.” 

“Ok, ok.” She shook her head more, “But only because I respect Louis’ privacy, not yours.” 

“Screw you.” Harry rolled his eyes, loosening his grip on Louis but not letting go entirely. Louis’ eyes narrowed in on the dull but electrifying press of his fingers, jumping when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He checked the ID, stepping away and answering immediately, “Hey, what’s up?” 

“I can’t get the girls today.” It was Niall, his fourteen year old brother. 

“Why not?” Louis asked, “What’s wrong?” 

“I got detention again.” Louis could hear his brother’s shame over the phone. It really wasn’t Niall’s fault though, Louis didn’t need to make him feel worse.

“It’s ok.” Louis sighed, “I’ll call Dom and see if he’s around.” 

“I already did and it went straight to voicemail.” 

“Ok,” Louis looked at his watch, shit he had twenty minutes to get to his sisters' school before the teacher would literally bitch him out. He couldn’t afford another call to CPS, “I’ll be there. Don’t worry about it.” 

“Ok.” Niall hummed, “Sorry again, Lou.” 

“It’s ok.” Louis sighed, “Just go to detention and try not to get it again. Love you.” 

“Love you, too.” Louis hung up his phone and turned back to tell Harry he’d have to bail only to find the other boy already just one step behind. Sarah gone, “I gotta bail, sorry.”

“Hey, wait.” Harry caught Louis’ arm as he turned to leave, hoping to catch the El in time. 

“Harry, I have to go.” Louis looked at his watch, great now he only had eighteen minutes. 

“What about ‘tutoring’.” Harry grinned, wagging his eyebrows suggestively but Louis just shook his head. 

“I have to get my sisters from school.” 

“Your sisters?” Harry scrunched up his eyebrows, he didn't know Louis had siblings, “How many? How old are they?” 

“They’re twins, just turned five.” Louis bit his lip, “Look I don’t have time for this. I have to be there in eighteen minutes.” 

“Can’t your parents do it?” Harry asked, not releasing his grip. Even Pulling Louis a step closer. The smaller boy tried not to linger on how close he was to Harry, or how nice he smelt. The pair stepping into an intimate bubble, just the two of them, despite being in a public space. 

Louis just scoffed, “No.” 

“Why? Are they working?” Harry asked again, completely confused by the concept of Louis caring for his siblings. By the thought that he was responsible for them. Harry knew Louis was poor so he probably didn’t have a nanny but he didn’t even have a babysitter?

“No.” Louis tugged on his arm, clearly Harry wasn’t going to let this go so Louis just rushed out with it, “My mom’s a bipolar drug addict that’s frankly worse on her meds than off and my dads a violent alcoholic. I haven’t seen either of them since my mom abandoned the girls on our porch, five years ago.” 

“Oh.” Harry looked appalled, “So, it’s just you then?” 

“And my fourteen year old brother Niall who usually gets them from school but he has detention today. And now I have sixteen minutes to get to their school before their bitchy teacher calls CPS on me again.”

Louis’ cheeks heated as Harry took in his face, their lives were about as different as it gets and that was made so painstakingly clear in this moment. Louis just shook his head and turned to leave but Harry grabbed his arm again, “I’ll drive you.” 

“What?” Louis asked, confused. 

“I’ll drive you to pick up the kids.” Harry nodded, pulling Louis towards his car, a brand new g wagon, “We can drop them off and then…” 

“They’re five, Harry.” Louis shook his head, digging his heels in, “I can’t just drop them off and then go back to your place to hook up.” 

“Ok, fine,” Harry huffed, using his weight to pull Louis the rest of the way, “Then we’ll tutor at your place today.” 

“Ummm no.” Louis stopped again, this time right in front of the passenger door.

“Why not?” Harry asked again, pulling the door open and preparing himself to shove Louis through. 

“Because I don’t need you making fun of where I live.” Louis shook his head, “My house isn’t like yours. My life isn’t like yours.” 

“I’m not gonna make fun of your house.” 

“Maybe not to my face.” Louis looked Harry up and down, clearly not an ounce of trust between them. 

“Louis,” Harry grasped the other boy’s chin, shaking his head, “Do you realize the power you have over me?” Louis shook his head, “We go to the most republican, conservative school in Chicago. I am a closeted man and you literally made me come in my pants last week. Anything you could say about me will outweigh what I say about you.” 

Louis blushed, why does this boy keep bringing that up, “So? No one would believe me.” 

Harry nodded, licking his lips, “So, Louis, come on.” The smaller boy pursed his lips and checked his watch, trying to do quick math to see if he could make it there in time, “I’m not a bad person, Louis. Please. Let me help you.” Harry pressed a kiss to other boy’s lips, “Let's go get your kids.” 

Louis rolled his eyes but finally relented, “Fine, but only because I need to be there in fifteen minutes.” 

_ “What do you mean?” Louis looked down at the babies sharing a crib, “She just left them on the porch?”  _

_ “Yeah.” Liam angrily hit the wall, “They were half dressed and starving when I found them.” _

_ “They look so tiny.” Louis whispered, “Are you sure it was mom?”  _

_ “She left the birth certificates.” Louis looked over the papers, seeing both his parents listed and the date of birth at just a month ago. _

_ “I don’t know how to take care of a baby.” Louis whispered, staring down at the children below him. A terrible and anxious feeling of being completely overwhelmed ate at his person, “let alone two.” _

_ “We’ll do it.” Liam whispered, landing a hand on his shoulder, “I did it with you and Niall. And we will do it for them.”  _

_ “What’re their names?” Niall whispered, peaking over the side of the crib. Lucky for the boys they never got around to moving it out of the living room once Niall outgrew it.  _

_ “This is Rosemary and Olive Tomlinson.” Liam smiled lifting nine year old Niall up, “They’re your sisters.”  _

_ Niall gasped, “Like Louis?” _

_ “Yup.” Liam signed, “I guess they ran out of last names to steal.” _

_ “I got the formula and pizza.” Gemma muttered walking through the door and patting Louis’ head on her way by, handing Niall the pizza boxes, “Everything is going to be ok.”  _

_ And Louis believed her, because Gemma did make things better. She made Liam and Niall happier. She made the food taste better. She’ll make this ok, he didn't believe in much but Louis believed in her. _


	5. Chapter 5

Harry waited in the car outside a drab looking elementary school, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. The neighborhood was the kind that his father would avoid or lock his doors when driving through. Trying to avoid eye contact with a random homeless looking drunk man across the street, he jumped when Louis returned. Quickly pulling the back door open and helping two little girls into the car. They may be twins in name, but they certainly weren’t identical. One was blonde and the other a red head, both looking around confused. 

Louis climbed back into the passenger seat settling two little backpacks near his feet. Harry looked to Louis with raised eyebrows, glancing between the girls and the boy beside him. Louis shot him a look when he realized Harry hadn’t started driving. How could Louis just not introduce him? Before he could get Louis to understand his intentions, one of the girls spoke up, “Louis, what’s going on?”

“Oh, ummm.” Louis turned in his seat, hands moving as he spoke, “This is my friend, Harry. We’re picking you up today because Niall is busy.” 

“Did he get detention again?” The redhead asked. 

“No need to worry about that.” Louis smiled, reaching back and patting the little girl's knee. 

It took Harry too long to realize Louis was using ASL. But once he did, he quickly signed ‘your’, ‘sister’, and ‘deaf’? 

Louis was taken aback, “You know asl?”

“Yeah, they taught it in elementary school.” Harry shrugged, “Both?” 

“No, just Ollie.” Louis smiles pointing to the quiet blonde girl in the back.   
When Harry turned in his seat now looking between the two with a smile, he noticed Ollie had hearing aids, as well. The taller boy wasn’t quick by any means with his basic asl but he loved kids and they   
loved him, “Hey there, you two! Do you like mcdonalds?” 

The redhead's eyes went wide with excitement, the blonde glancing at Louis with worry, “Yes! Chicken nuggies!” 

“Then the princess shall get chicken nuggies!” Harry smiled and the little girl squealed with excitement. It amazed Harry how quickly the little red head could finger spell and sign. 

“I’m not a princess.” She declared, looking over to her twin who finally quirked a smile, “I’m the queen. Ollie can be the princess.” 

Harry nodded, as if he was seriously taking notes, turning to the blonde one, signing, “What do you say, Ollie? Do you want chicken nuggets too?” 

The little girl nodded, signing back yes, “Ok, one last thing. What is the Queen’s name?” 

The red head giggled again, “I’m Rosie!” 

“Ok, queen Rosie and Princess Ollie are getting nuggets today.” Harry announced before turning back around and shifting the ignition back into gear. He caught Louis sending him a strange look, to which he just shot back a soft smile. 

Once Louis settled the girls in with their nuggets and flicked the tv on to whatever was showing on basic cable, and led Harry to his room. The room used to be his older brothers but since he’s not around Louis claimed it so Niall could have his own room and the girls could have theirs. 

“You didn’t have to do that.” Louis whispered, walking to the small desk in the room to drop his bag on. 

“I don’t mind.” Harry shrugged, landing heavily on the bed, just a mattress on a minimal frame, no headboard, “I love kids and yours seem like great little people.” 

“They are.” Louis nods, “But they’re not my kids. They’re my siblings.”

Harry shrugged, “You take care of them. You love them. They’re your kids.” 

“Yeah but I’m barely eighteen.” Louis shook his head, “I’m just doing what anyone would do for their siblings.” 

“I don’t think my sister would do this for me.” 

Louis just shrugged his shoulders, “I’m sure she’s just never had to. I think people rise to the occasion, even spoiled brats like you.” 

People have said that all his life and usually it pissed him off but when Louis said it, he just grinned a little harder. Again, his insult hit like a light whack from a kitten, “I know you make me rise to the occasion.” 

Louis rolled his eyes at the innuendo, hiding his grin by picking at his nails, “You are a child. Speaking of which, I think ‘my child’ is in love with you. She couldn’t stop staring at you.” 

“Ollie?” Harry asked, leaning forward with excitement. Finally, a Tomlinson that liked him. 

“Yup, most people don’t know sign language, so she’s usually left out.” Louis sighed loosening his uniform tie, “Her teacher was a right cunt when the school was forced to hire an interpreter for her.”

“I wish more people knew the basics.” Harry nodded along, “Especially teachers. They should have to take at least one class in college.”

“Yeah.” Louis shrugged again; it was draining to watch Olive sink into herself whenever people were around. 

“Was she born deaf?” 

Louis bit his lip, “No, she got meningitis when she was two and it took most of her hearing. Technically, Olive’s just severely hard of hearing so she can hear some ambient sounds with her hearing aids in and she talks a little but only around family.” 

“Did you look into cochlear implants?”

“They’re too expensive.” Louis shrugged, “We don’t have insurance and technically I could try to get her on medicaid or medicare but I’d need a parent or a legal guardian to sign off on that and my parents would never help.”

“Really?” Harry asked, “Why wouldn’t they want to help her?”

“If there isn’t anything in it for them then they don’t care.” Louis huffed, “It’s fine though, she gets along without ‘em.”

Harry wanted to say something, but no words would fix this situation. Nothing he could say would help and the word ‘sorry’ felt too much like pity, so he just nodded.

Louis nodded awkwardly in return. Not really knowing why he was oversharing today. Maybe it was the endearing way Harry looked at Olive or the way he grabbed Louis’ hand over the ignition while they drove. Louis was going soft, leaning on his desk and watching Harry already staring back. There wasn’t much to look at in this tiny room and it didn’t take long to take in the bland tan comforter, or the walls fashioned with little holes and unidentified stains, “So this is it.” 

Harry nodded, biting his lip, eyes raking over the open collar of Louis’ shirt, “So this is it.” 

“Hmmm.” Louis hummed, pursing his lip and spreading his thighs a little wider, “You’ve been busy since last week?”  
“I’ve been busy thinking about you a lot since last week.” Harry titled his chin and smiled stupidly. Like he wasn’t ashamed in the slightest and that set a flutter of hope through his stomach. 

Louis nodded, looking to his sock covered feet, “Yeah? Thinking about anything in particular?” 

The taller boy smiled that big smile and leaned back on his hands, trying to look less imposing, “Yeah. I’ve been thinking about your hands.”

“My hands?” Louis laughed, “You and Sarah share a kink?” 

Harry threw his head back in a laugh, rumbling through his chest, catching a small smile on Louis’ face before it faded, “Why don’t you come over here and we’ll figure it out?” 

Louis bit his lip closing the distance between them, to stand between Harry’s legs. The larger boy’s hands landed first on Louis’ hips, bracing his waist and then traveling up. Working quick fingers down Louis uniform shirt buttons until he was bare. 

The smaller boy sucked in a breath when Harry leaned forward to press a kiss into the gentle happy trail running into his trousers. Louis wrapped his hand gently, hesitantly, into Harry’s curls, the taller lad’s lips never leaving his skin “You’re so soft.”

“How am I supposed to take that?” Louis leaned closer, to nip at the top of Harry’s ear, “You calling me a twink?” 

“N-n-n-no.” Harry stuttered, genuinely thinking he insulted Louis but once he pulled back, he internalized the smile behind those words. Pulling Louis closer and resting his chin on the standing boy’s sternum, “It’s just very nice.”

“Nice?” Louis grinned again, “Is that it?” 

“Now whose taking the piss.” Harry pouted, pressing a kiss into Louis’ pec. For just a moment Harry wondered if this was too intimate. If he’d crossed a line by commenting on how nice and soft Louis’ body was. But Louis just grinned and leaned down to press another kiss to Harry’s lips. 

“It’s a toll you have to pay for getting to know me.” Louis whispered, “I’m sassy. I’m stubborn. But I have a great ass.” 

“That you do.” Harry nodded, reaching around to take a firm grasp of his butt, “I couldn’t help but stare at it all week.” 

“Well maybe if you treat me right, I’ll let you kiss my ass.” Louis joked but his laugh cut off when Harry pulled him a bit closer, his other hand taking Louis nape and pulling him down, close. 

Their lips just millimeters apart, “Is that a challenge or a promise?” 

Louis deigned the need for a response, crashing his lips to Harry’s once more. With their lips locked, Louis pressed Harry down onto the bed. Climbing on top and straddling his waist. Trying to maintain the kiss was an awkward affair that left both laughing and breathless. Smaller fingers worked their way down Harry’s dress shirt buttons, until the expanse of his chest was free. 

“You’re not so soft, huh?” Louis joked, trying and failing to seem unimpressed by the hardness of his muscles. Harry gulped, wetting his already glossy lips, while staring up at Louis with intense eyes. 

“Lacrosse, I guess.” Harry huffs, drawing Louis gaze up to his face. 

“Mmmm, right.” Louis hummed, “Mr. Captain.”

Harry blushed as his cock jerked at the way Louis' voice dropped and he fluttered his eye lashes. How could everyone in the world not find this boy so attractive it hurts? How could he not have noticed him before now? 

“What?’ Louis whispered, “Crossing a line?”

“No.” Harry rushed a breath, “You’re beautiful, Louis.” 

Louis rolled his eyes, straddling Harry’s hips, “You don’t have to gas me up, Mr. Captain. You’ve already got me in bed.” 

“I’m not.” Harry tugged Louis’ hair again, pressing their foreheads together, “I mean it.” 

Louis wet his lips, eyes flickering over Harry’s face before shaking his head just a little and shushing him. When the larger boy went to defend his words again, Louis pressed their lips back together, swallowing his words whole. His hand slowly ghosting over Harry’s chest, his thumb pebbling his nipples. 

Louis couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride when Harry’s breath shook and his hand tightened on Louis’ upper arm, “Can I?” Louis’ fingers danced on the buttons of Harry’s dress pants finally looking back up to see red puffy lips and blown green eyes.

Harry nodded jerkily, watching Louis’ face, “Whatever you want.” 

Louis giggled, slipping his hand unceremoniously into the front of Harry’s pants and boxers. His hand wrapping around Harry's already filled out erection, Louis wasn’t a virgin but having Harry stare up at him like he was caused a blush to settle over his face. He ducked his face into Harry’s neck nuzzling into his jaw, his lips against Harry’s racing pulse. Their bodies lined up perfectly. 

“Mmm, Louis, baby, you’re so pretty like that.” Harry’s fingers feathered through the hair on the back of Louis head, his hips seeking out friction. 

“Shh,” Louis hushed Harry fishing out his own hardened length to try to jack them both off at the same time. But Louis’ hand was too small and he shuddered his own moan out when Harry spit slick hand nudged his own, wrapping around both their lengths, “F-f-f-fuck.” 

“You like that baby?” Harry whispered, nudging his nose into Louis’ cheek, “Hmmm?” 

“You talk too much.” Louis whispered, turning his head to press his lips back Harry’s if only to get him to stop talking. And the smaller boy wished he could say he wanted Harry to stop talking because it was an annoying turn off but no that wasn’t the case. Harry’s voice pitched downward and his lips vibrating against Louis’ skin was enough to send him over the edge. But he wouldn’t come first, that was Harry’s thing. 

Luckily he didn’t have to wait too long because Harry’s speed picked up and his breath quickened against Louis’ lips before he was coming with a grunt. His hand only pausing for a second before finishing Louis off with just a few more tugs. 

Louis finally collapsed his full weight onto Harry, his panted breaths softened against Harry’s neck until they were just gentle puffs. Neither moved from their place on the bed, but Harry wrapped a hand around the nape of Louis’ neck, holding him close. Louis’ nose shifted into Harry’s jaw, allowing his eyes to close against the boy’s cheek. 

Just a moment of peace.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dom is obvi Yungblud for all those who don't know his real name! 
> 
> Also there is no infidelity on Louis' part. I tried to make that clear here but he and Dom are just having casual sex.

With Louis’ breath like the soft caress of fingers against his ruddy cheeks, Harry could close his eyes and allow for just one more moment of make believe. Okay, maybe a few more moments of pretend. He could pretend that Louis was his, that he didn’t have a girlfriend. He could pretend that there wasn’t a single person that would hate him for what he’d just done. Harry was good at playing pretend. Maybe it was a Styles trait, his parents have been doing it for years. 

Time passed in lazy minutes until Louis heard a quick knock on his door before it just swung open. Jumping up quickly and tucking himself back into his pants while Harry did the same, “Louis, Dom’s here and he brought pizza.” 

Louis wiped his face with the back of his hand taking in Niall before him, “Ok, I’ll be right down.” 

Niall cocked his head to get a look at Harry who waved bashfully from his place on the bed. Coming up onto his elbows, Harry asked, “Whose Dom?”

“Uhh,” Louis turned back quickly, “A friend.”

“Oh, is that what they’re calling this these days?” Niall sassed, pointing between his brother and Harry from the door before Louis whipped back around. There wasn’t a doubt in Louis’ mind that Niall knew exactly what he’d been up to which made his statement that much more condemning.

“I swear to God, Niall, get out.” Louis ordered, the boy just rolled his eyes before taking his leave. Louis reaches out to stop him for a second, “Don’t tell Dom about this…”

Niall eyed Harry like he was a bug beneath a microscope, a specimen he wasn’t particularly keen on, “I ain’t no narc.” 

“Is Dom your boyfriend?” Harry asked, buttoning his shirt and packing his things. Green eyes tracing Louis’ movement over to the worn dresser where he pulled on a hoodie, shucking his pants in favor of a pair of joggers. 

“Not that it’s any of your business but no.” Louis looked flustered trying to smooth over his hair in the mirror, “He’s a friend that I sometimes sleep with.”

“So, you’re sleeping with other people?” Harry couldn’t keep the disappointment from his voice.

“So what? You have a girlfriend Harry.” Louis rolled his eyes.

“I don’t sleep with her.” Harry muttered, hand worrying the back of his neck. 

“You don't?” Louis laughed but stopped when he realized Harry was serious, looking the other boy over confused, “Look, Harry. We’ve only hooked up twice. This isn’t a thing. If anything it’s the opposite of a thing. It’s no thing.”

“Yeah I know. It’s nothing.” Harry shrugged dully, any guy in the world should be happy to hear those words so why did it make him feel like shit? Like a tool?

His shoulders fell, following Louis from the room and down a second set of stairs which led to the kitchen. He found Niall and the girls at the table talking with a man, who signed quickly to the little girls. He looked about as tall as Harry, but his hair was dyed a bright green and black, and his fingernails were painted maroon. 

Harry watched as the man looked up expectantly, happily, for Louis’ arrival and fell into confusion when Harry followed close behind.

“Hey Dom!” Louis smiled easily, much easier than he does with Harry. Walking around the table, he landed a hand on the man's shoulder and leaned down to glance a kiss off his cheek, “Thanks for bringing over pizza.” 

Dom finally pried his eyes off Harry in the corner to smile happily at Louis, a surprisingly British accent falling off his lips, “Of course, love. Who’s this?”

It seemed everyone just quickly signed along with their words, Harry found himself unable to keep up. Assuming that some of what they were signing was slang or abbreviated. It was kind of nice to see them doing that even when Olive wasn’t looking, but it left Harry feeling inadequate. 

“This is Harry.” Louis licked his lips subconsciously when he looked from Dom to Harry, “I’m tutoring him.” 

“Oh,” he sighed, “From the fancy school, then?” 

“Yup!” Louis accented the word with a bite from a piece of pizza on Rosie’s plate, the little girl giggling, Louis whispered to her, “You’re getting the full treatment today, huh?”

“I was wondering why that g wagon was parked outside.” Dom smiled shallowly at Harry, “Why're you here?”

The man’s staring was starting to make Harry feel unwelcome, not to mention the daggers he threw Harry’s way. But Louis answered unbothered, “Someone got detention again so we had to rearrange our plans so I could get the girls.”

“Ahh so that's what the missed call was for?” Dom asked Niall who nodded around two slices of pizza, “Did you look into those ADHD meds?” 

Harry definitely felt like an intruder, now. Like this was a family dinner he was simply watching from afar. This ‘Dom’ character clearly was over much more often than just a hookup, if he was signing and asking about medication. And Harry didn’t miss the way, Louis’ brother actually called Dom before Louis to pick up the girls. They might as well be married; Harry worried his lip angrily.

Not that he had any right in the world to feel possessive. To feel a snake-like vice grip wrapping its way around his chest, while he watched Louis’ fingers linger on Dom’s shoulder. Fingers that were just used to jack him off, lips just pressed to his now whispering into this new man’s ear.

Niall muttered without signing, “Too expensive.”

Dom sighed, sharing a look with Louis before he shook his head. The man finally looked back to Harry, “Well, fancy boy are you staying for dinner?” 

Olive huffed an off tune laugh, signing, “fancy boy”

“What?” Dom asked, eye flickering from Harry to Ollie, “Isn’t he fancy.” 

The little girl grinned again, looking to Harry with a blush and nodding ‘yes’. 

That definitely wasn’t a compliment coming for the southside man. Harry narrowed his eyes in challenge and went to answer ‘yes’ but Louis was already shaking his head no, “No, I was just walking Harry out.” 

Harry shrugged, pouting, but Louis was pulling him along, “What if I wanted to stay?”

“That’s too bad.” Louis shook his head, opening the door and waving Harry along. 

“How old is he?” Harry asked, he would have guessed at least nineteen. Definitely not in high school.

“He’s twenty.” Louis shrugged, “We’ve known each other forever.”

“Where’s the accent from?” 

“Uh Doncaster England I think?” Louis slipped the gate open walking them both through, “He moved here when he was nine and never really lost it.” 

“Hmm.” Harry hummed trying to hide the jealousy brewing in his stomach, “What’s he do for a living?”

“Why so many questions about Dom?” Louis sassed, “You want to fuck him too?” 

Harry scoffed, “No. I just like to know who you spend your time with.” 

The smaller boy rolled his eyes, “ok, and if I asked you about everyone you ‘spend your time’ with?”

Harry shrugged, “Just Camille and you. And I kissed Mitch once on a dare but he wasn’t very good.”

“Too much of a top?” Louis snarked, “Guess you wouldn’t like Dom then…”

Harry clucked his tongue disapprovingly, “You trying to make me jealous?”

“Depends?” Louis leaned in closer, lips brushing Harry’s, “Is it working?” 

Harry wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity for a kiss, even if it made him out to be a jealous fool. Their lips met and Louis pressed onto his tiptoes to deepen it before pulling back completely, “See you tomorrow.” 

Harry whined and Louis just laughed at him, “What’re you doing this weekend?” 

“I work a double on Saturdays and I study all day Sundays.” Louis explained, pushing Harry into his seat and closing the door behind him. Harry quickly started the car and rolled down the windows, “Can I come over Saturday night? Or you could come to mine?” 

“I work until eleven.” Louis shook his head. 

“So?” 

“Don’t you have plans for a Saturday night?” Louis asked, “I don’t know drinking or buying a Rolex or whatever Chicago’s young and wealthy do?” 

“There’s nothing I’d rather do…” 

“Then me?” Louis scoffed, “Hard to believe. What will your girlfriend think?” 

“I have a hall pass.” Harry lied. Camille gave him a one time pass but Louis didn’t need to know that. Harry got the feeling Louis wasn’t the type to be the ‘other man’. Louis didn’t deserve anything other than the utmost attention and it brought a rush of shame to Harry just thinking about it.

“Fine.” Louis sighed, “You can pick me up from work but I’m gonna be tired so there’s no guarantee I’ll even be up for anything.” 

“No worries.” Harry smiled cheekily, “I’ll take whatever I can get.” 

Louis rolled his eyes, “Get out of here, Harry.” 

“One more kiss?” Harry asked, tilting his head and smiling cheesily. Louis glanced to the window of his house and shook his head, noticing Dom and Niall waiting for him there. Like Louis was the younger brother on a date.

“See you tomorrow, Haz.” 

As Harry watched Louis, washed yellow in the streetlight through the rearview mirror, he felt that same jealous feeling erupt. Like he had in the kitchen with Dom. He didn’t even want to think about what that meant. He didn’t want to think about the way he’d never felt that for Camille. Even when the model booked a show last year where she had to kiss another male model. Even when Camille told him she slept with a boy in the French Riviera last spring. Harry just convinced himself he wasn’t the jealous type but that wasn’t true, not anymore.

Instead he just thought about Louis. He had so many questions for the strange boy. Why was Louis raising his siblings and sleeping with a twenty year old? How could he afford the bills? The house? How could he possibly have time to maintain the grades needed for valedictorian? But those were all really just surface questions, Harry really wanted to know was why he didn’t want to leave? Why did Harry want to bury himself in Louis’ family? Why did he want to turn the car around and demand to sleep in Louis’ old lumpy mattress? 

Harry felt a lump grow in his throat throughout the ride home. A swelling that forced unwanted tears to linger at the waterline of his eyes, why did life have to be like this?

_“Gemma, when is Liam getting home?” Louis asked from the stool behind the breakfast bar, writing furiously into his notebook._

_“Tonight? He’s at the club so he’ll be late.” Gemma took the saucepan off the heat and looked over to what Louis’ was writing, “What’s up, buttercup?”_

_“I need him to forge dad’s signature so I can take this test.” Louis presented a paper printed on her alma mater’s letter head, “They’re testing everyone in the district and whoever does the best gets to go to St. Francis, a really good school, for free!”_

_“I went there.” Gemma smiled softly, a little anxiously as well. She remembered how the scholarship kids were treated at her high school, “You are the smartest kid I know! You’re definitely going to get it.”_

_“Oh, you must be really smart, too.” Louis nodded, at thirteen Louis was still so innocent and nice. Even after going to that soul sucking middle school, where people called him names and emptied his backpack onto the ground. Louis kept that kind spark in his eye that his neighborhood, his school, his own parents tried to beat out of him. Even Niall was more cynical at this point in his life._

_“Something like that.” She shook her head, picking up a pen and flawlessly forging Liam’s mother’s signature._

_“You’re getting good at that.” He smiled, biting his lip, “Gemma, do you think you’re going to marry Liam?”_

_If you had asked Gemma that first night she would have said ‘hell no’ but after almost four years of living with the family, she grinned, “All he has to do is ask.”_

_Louis laughed, “Even though he has me and Niall and now the babies.”_

_“Yup.” Gemma ruffled his hair, “I love you guys. Even with the babies’ smelly diapers.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also I meant to put this at the end of the last chapter but I just want to say that I don't think that people who are deaf need to be fixed. I know deaf people live beautiful and fulfilling lives and many don't like cochlear implants. 
> 
> That being said, I believe in staying true to the characterization of Louis in the fic. He comes from a disadvantaged background with very little resources, so he would want every possible advantage for himself and his sisters. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Homophobic language and mentions of child abuse.
> 
> Happy anniversary of Walls!

Friday before class found Louis huddled in the corner of the atrium waiting for the first bell to ring, when Sarah sat directly beside him, “Hey, Louis.” 

“Hi.” Louis looked around, thinking Harry would be close behind but they were alone, “What’s up?” 

“Can I take a picture of your hands?” She asked, holding up her camera. 

“Uhh yeah sure?” Louis shrugged, holding out his hand flat, “Are you doing photography for your project?”

“No.” She shook her head, “I just use the pictures as references. I’m mostly into drawing or painting. I might try some mixed media but I don’t know. Can you clasp your hands together like this?” 

“Oh cool.” Louis flipped his hands, doing as she instructed. 

“I’m starting to think my hands aren’t even special to you.” Harry’s voice arrived before he did, landing a hand on Louis’ shoulder to watch Sarah take her pictures. His fingers absentmindedly rubbed over the roughness of Louis’ blazer, making the shorter boy tense and then relax. Harry’s thumb slipped below the collar of his shirt leaving goosebumps from the heat of the digit.

Sarah rolled her eyes, “You wish your hands were special.” 

“Like mine.” Mitch joked, sliding beside Sarah, “Right, babe? Tell him how special my hands are.” 

“No.” Sarah giggled, leaning in to whisper in Mitch’s ear. 

“You two are gross.” Harry scoffed, sitting beside Louis. 

“Sorry that I’m actually attracted to my girlfriend.” Mitch shot back and Harry just shook his head. 

“Low blow, bro.” Sarah laughed. 

“Well I have to go to my locker.” Louis lied lamely, standing and dodging Harry’s hand hoping to make him stay. Louis shot him a victorious smile before leaving.

Green eyes traced Louis’ movement, chin landing on his fist, “You are so whipped.” 

Sarah elbowed Mitch who just shook his head unapologetically, “Did you two even fuck yet?”

“He has a boyfriend.” Harry pursed his lips. 

“What really?” Sarah was intrigued, Louis had always lay in the periphery of her high school life but even then she couldn’t think of one person she consistently saw hanging around the other boy. If anything she only saw him in passing, walking purposefully with his head down, “Does he go here?” 

“No. Dom is from the south side.” Harry fussed, finally losing sight of Louis as he turned the corner, “He’s twenty.” 

“Oh.” Mitch continued, making a crude sex motion with his hands, “So you two aren’t?” 

“No we hooked up yesterday.” Harry pursed his lips, “They’re technically not dating but…” 

“But?”

“But he smiles at him.” Harry whined, wistfully. Picking over an invisible piece of lint on his pants.

“Smiles at him?” Sarah and Mitch share an incredulous look, “He doesn’t smile at you?” 

“Not like that.” Harry bites his lip, “I just want him to smile at me like--like that....” 

Sarah felt pity for her friend, “I’m sorry, Haz.” 

“When are you going to tell your girlfriend?” Mitch asked seriously. Harry needed to break the thing off with Camille before the other girl got it in her head that Harry was cheating. Camille was kind of crazy and he wouldn’t put it past her to do some real harm to Louis. 

“Tell his girlfriend what?” Camille asked, arriving just on time with Cara and Kendall in tow. 

“That I’m using his hands for my art project.” Sarah covered easily, holding up her camera. 

“Oh.” Camille nodded, “That’s nice. Always knew Harry could be a model. I, on the other hand, am a professional model. I’ll do some pro bono work for you, though.” 

“Uh huh.” Sarah could barely hide her dislike for the other girl with a thin smile, “I’m good, thanks.” 

Louis huffed an exasperated breathe, unceremoniously dumping a tray full of dishes into the sink out back, “Thanks, Lou. Couldn’t have cleaned them off first?”

“Oh fuck you, Frankie.” Louis spat back at the fourteen year old dishwasher, the younger cousin of the diner owner's wife. It was still early in his shift so there was no bite to his words.

“I know you’d love to but I think I’m a little young, Faggot.” Frankie laughed back, shoving Louis playfully with wet gloves. 

“One of these days that mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble.” Louis chuckled, trying to wipe the mess off his apron. 

“Louis, your big tipper is back at her usual table.” His coworker Jessie, popped her head into the back room. 

“Oh ok.” Louis nodded, walking back out onto the floor and preparing Gemma’s usual coffee. No sugar and a splash of dairy free creamer. At a nicer place she would have gotten almond milk or even coconut but this wasn’t a nicer place, “Hey Gemma, I got your coffee here.” 

The older woman looked up from the book she was browsing smiling kindly, “Thanks, Louis. I know it’s busy tonight so I won’t keep you but I found this lying around and thought…” 

She paused when Louis sighed a little too loud, tensing when he caught sight of the bundled up cloth. Gemma had a habit of this, saying she found something but it having the tags still on, never having been worn. This time it looked like a soft pink set of gloves and a hat, “If you don’t want it, that’s ok.” Gemma continued, softly past the rebuff, “I just remember you saying Rosemary lost her gloves last winter.” 

“Rosie’s not really a pink girl anymore.” Louis whispered, he vowed to never take anything from Gemma again but the woman understood the loopholes she was presented with. Louis wouldn’t accept her gifts but he’d take a tip if she bought a coffee, and he’d take a practical gift for the girls or Niall but never for himself. Gloves, hats, sweaters, never toys and never anything that auspiciously cost a large amount of money. 

It’s taken her almost a year to suss out the rules, walking on eggshells-around landmines in conversation to get to this point. Even if it was a small smile and single picture of the kids on a tiny cracked screen, Gemma would take what she could get. Maybe she was a glutton for pain, for disappointment, for trying to squeeze herself back into a family she tore apart. Maybe she was selfish for wanting her spot back, after what she caused. 

“But Ollie might want ‘em.” Louis continued, “Thanks.” 

“Of course.” She offered a little smile, “All’s well?” 

“As well as it ever was.” Louis whispered, stepping back, “It was good seeing you, Gemma. Niall might come by next week.”

Gemma nodded into her cup of coffee, “I’d like that.” But she knew it wasn’t true. She knew Niall would never come because if Louis hated Gemma for what she had done then Niall thoroughly despised her. Every week Louis made the same comment and every week Niall didn’t come. 

Harry sat outside the diner, watching Louis work through the window. He said he got off at it was nearly eleven, when Camille called. He didn’t want to answer but guilt finally ate away at him, “Hey, Cam.” 

“Ugh don’t call me that.” Camille sighed into the phone, “It makes me sound like a butch lesbian.” 

“Ok, sorry.” Harry muttered, eyes still tracking Louis inside. He was currently bent over a table washing it down when he looked up and caught Harry’s eyes through the window. Camille continued to talk but he couldn’t hear a thing when he saw Louis blush and send him a small wave. Harry returned the wave and signed, “I miss you.” 

Louis rolled his eyes and returned to what he was doing, “Harry? What do you think?”

“Huh, what?” Harry asked. 

“Prom is in three weeks and you haven’t booked a hotel room yet? Kendall already has hers and I want to be with her and Ben.” Camille whined, “So, I was saying you should book the suite now.” 

“Ok, I’ll do that when I get home.” Harry agreed. 

“Home?” Camille asked, “Where are you? I thought you said you were doing homework tonight?” 

“I am.” Harry tried to think up a lie, “I’m at the library.” 

“At eleven at night?” Camille sounded doubtful, “are you serious?” 

“Yeah, you can call Mitch and ask. He’s here somewhere.” Harry lied again, putting Camille on speaker so that he could text Mitch ‘If Cam calls you, tell her you're at the library with me?’

“I trust you.” Camille answered, “I guess I’ll let you get back to it. I’ll text you the link with the hotel information.” 

“Sounds good.” Harry hung up quickly, unlocking the doors for Louis to slip in, “Hey there.” 

“Hey.” Louis smiled a small little grin, “Thanks for picking me up.” 

“Of course,” Harry shifted his car into gear, handing his phone over to Louis, “You can put music on. How was your shift?” 

“It was fine.” Louis shrugged, “Made some money. What’s your password?” 

“Oh that reminds me I have to pay you for last week.” Harry reached into his pocket for his wallet, “And it's 102167.” 

Louis looked down the wallet in his hands, “What am I supposed to do with this?” 

“Um take out money?” Harry joked, “For tutoring.” 

“Harry I told you before I’m not a prostitute.” Louis shoved the wallet into the middle console, “Stop trying to give me money.” 

Harry nodded, but made a mental note to leave some money on Louis’ dresser, “Ok, fine.” 

“Mitch texted you.” Louis tried to hand the phone back to Harry even though he was driving.

“What’d he say?” Harry asked before realizing his mistake. 

“He said, ‘She called and I covered. You with Louis again?’ Why do you want Camille to think you’re at the library?” Louis whispered. Louis wasn’t dumb, he knew the answer before Harry could respond, “She doesn’t know about me? You were lying about the ‘hall pass’?” 

“No, she does know.” Harry bit his lip, “She really gave me a hall pass. She just doesn’t know I kind of used it.” 

“You lied to me.” Louis shook his head, angrily, “Fuck, Harry. Of course, you lied. No way in hell would Camille Rowe-fucking model-let you fuck around with me.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Harry swallowed hard. 

“It means your girlfriend is a homophobe trying to scare you off men by fucking me and you’re just too stupid to realize it.” Louis spoke without a stutter, dropping Harry’s phone into the cupholder without picking a song.

“Ok ouch.” Harry whispered, “Just because I’m not top of the class doesn’t mean I’m stupid and she’s not homophobic…” 

“Was it your idea or hers?” Blue eyes burnt a hole in Harry’s cheek and he weighed the pros and cons of lying. 

“The hall pass?” 

“No. Me.” Louis whispered, “Why me? There’s other out and proud kids at school. Why me?”

And Harry’s hands tightened on the wheel, an anxious feeling gnawing away at his stomach, “Hers.” Harry may have been taught that you lie to, and for, the ones you love but he knew that was wrong. He knew he didn’t want to lie to Louis. 

“Of course, you know she probably looked at me and couldn’t find one good thing about me.” Louis felt angry, his fists balled too tight, “I’m so fucking stupid for thinking you might be different. For thinking I might…” 

“What?” Harry whispered, his voice too vulnerable to be the the socialite sex god everyone thought him to be, “You might what?”

“Nothing.” Louis bit out angrily, shaking his head.

“Louis, honey.” Louis rolled his eyes in disgust, _“I like you.”_

“You just want to fuck me.” Louis’ lip wobbled traitorously, he didn’t want to cry over this skinny noodle like fuckboy, “Jesus, I was so stupid. You want to fuck me and then go off and get crowned prom king with that homophobic cunt. Marry her and pop out 2.8 repressed children.” 

“No, Louis.” Harry finally pulled over in front of Louis’ house, the smaller boy jumping out and speed walking around the car. Harry jumped out following close behind, “Please, Louis. I-I-I don’t just want your body. I want you. Camille doesn’t matter. She doesn’t.” 

“Yeah, right.” Louis paused at the door, “You are a liar and a cheater. What? You think you can just throw money at me and I’ll be your little side piece? You want it both ways. Well you can’t have them from me.” 

“No, Louis I’m not sleeping with her.” Louis grunted with anger, shoving Harry back a step. As if that was even the point. 

“Ok?! So what?” Louis pushed him again, “I’m the first person to make your cock hard and now you think you ‘like’ me? Newsflash Harry, I get a lot of people off not just you.”

In that moment Harry went from nervous and repentant, to furious. Unjustified, ugly fury, “What?” 

“I said...” Louis whispered each word with only one intention, to hurt Harry, “...I get a lot of people off. I’m desired and you are not special. I don’t need you.” 

Louis’ eyes bulged and he shot backwards quickly when Harry’s hand rose up, wrapping long fingers around the column of his neck. Walking them both the single step back so that the smaller boy was now pressed against the side of his house, “You’re lying. Tell me you’re lying.” 

Louis would have scoffed if Harry’s tone hadn’t dropped so low and his fingers weren’t just a little too tight around his throat, “And if I’m not?” 

“I can’t bear to share you, Louis.” Harry whimpered, his nose drawing a line up the side of Louis’ neck, his fingers loosening until they fell to his collar bone, a firm pressure just keeping him in place. They were crowded so close now the air between them was almost too warm. It made Louis dizzy, almost enough to forget about the fact that they were fighting. His cock certainly didn’t get the memo, pressing firmly against Harry’s leg which slipped between his own open thighs, “Please?”

“But I have to share you?” Louis’ lips slipped against Harry’s ear, and he felt the resounding shudder through the taller lad's body. 

“I can’t even get it up for her.” As if a testament to how much she paled in comparison to Louis, Harry’s hard dick ground into Louis’ stomach, “Please, Louis, I need you but I also just need to get through high school with her and then I’ll be free.” 

“Free?” 

“I can’t be not straight.” Harry felt tears filling his eyes, pulling back so that his nose nudged against Louis’, “My dad will kill me if he finds out. I just need Camille to make things ok for a little while longer. If I don’t have her then I can’t have you. Having her keeps him happy.” 

Louis watched the tears pour down Harry’s face, shaking his head, “He’ll hurt you?” 

“He’d kick my ass and then probably send me to one of those conversion camps.” Harry sniffled, “He beat the shit out of me when I was nine because my sister painted my nails. He broke my arm.” 

The smaller boy gasped, hand slowly rising to Harry’s shoulder, “Does Camille know?” 

“That he broke my arm?” Harry asked, confused, wiping his nose, “No, I never told anyone that.” 

“No, I mean, does she know that your dad will react like that if you’re gay?” Louis asked, “Will she tell him?”

Harry shook his head, “She said she wouldn’t tell. She thinks I’m bi or just confused. I-I-I don’t know what I am.”

Louis nodded tiredly, that fire from before gone, “Ok.”

“Ok?” Harry asked. 

“Ok, I’m going to go inside and go to bed.” Louis nodded speaking slowly, “I’m not mad anymore Harry but I can’t be the other man. My life is too complicated to be this person. You need to figure this out but I won’t make it worse, ok? Just, go figure it out?” 

“Let me stay, please?” Harry asked, hand gently taking Louis’ wrist in his hand, kissing his fingers, “I just want to hold you.” 

Louis sighed, closing his eyes but that didn't stop the feeling of red rimmed eyes boring a hole in his face. The feeling of Harry's fingers on his wrist, at his chest, the sound of heartbreaking sniffles, “Harry…” 

“Please?” Harry laid a soft kiss against Louis’ cheek, and then another against his jaw. Praising, sorrowful kisses. Pressing Louis’ palm against his chest, against his fluttering heart. And without a word, Louis unlocked the door and nodded for Harry to go in. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we got a little peak of what Gemma :) 
> 
> Thank you for all the kudos, likes, and comments they really do mean the world to me!


	8. Chapter 8

_“I met with your dad today.” Liam whispered, sitting in the passenger seat of Gemma’s car._

_“What?” Gemma whipped her head around, “Where?”_

_“He saw me walking and pulled me into his car.” Liam shrugged, “He offered me a lot of money to stop seeing you.”_

_“How much?” Gemma asked, “Did you take it.”_

_“No, I didn’t take it.” Liam shook his head, “I love you, Gemma.”_

_“I love you, too.”_

_“He threatened me.” Liam muttered, “Said I would pay.”_

_“Are you scared?” Gemma whispered._

_“Your love is worth it.” Liam shook his head._

“Harry.” Louis’ words dissolved into a whimper somewhere between his tongue and his lips, “We shouldn’t.” 

“Shhh...” Harry chuckled, taking Louis’ length back into his mouth. Allowing Louis’ hips to jerk and press the head of his cock against the opening of his throat. Adoring eyes taking in Louis' little sounds, his gentle brow, “No one comes down here during this time.” The boys were in the basement of the fine arts building at lunch, there’s no way anyone would find them here. 

“What about Camille?” Louis whispered, but his hand sunk further into Harry’s curls, holding him in place. They hadn’t mentioned the other girl since the week before but they also hadn’t hooked up since, despite Harry’s best efforts. But he whittled away at Louis’ self control, finally finding himself on his knees in front of the shorter boy. 

Harry’s eyes flashed up, popping off Louis’ painfully hard member, “What about her?” 

Louis bit his lip but nodded, “Don’t stop.” Harry’s grin was all Louis needed to throw his head back and close his eyes. That was until he heard footsteps, “Harry, someone’s coming!” 

The taller boy noticed too late, pulling off and turning but still kneeling on the ground. Luckily his head covered Louis’ crotch enough that the boy was able to redress himself without the incoming person seeing him exposed. Between the two of them sporting bruised lips and Louis’ frantic movements there was no hiding what they had been doing.

Harry stumbled to his feet unconsciously shielding Louis from the pair in front of him. His heart fell into his stomach when he saw who was there: Cara and another girl, “Cara, I ummm…” Cara always had a serious look on her face and today her eyes switched between Harry and a partially visible Louis taking in the scene, “Louis and I were just.”

Harry paused when she just held up a hand, immediately thinking of all the ways Camille’s friend was about to chew him out. But instead of yelling or turning on her heel to go tell Camille of her unfaithful boyfriend, she nodded, “Lou?” 

“Yeah?” Louis whispered, Harry stepped to the side allowing the other boy to come more fully into view.

“You ok?” Her words were softer than Harry expected, looking between the two. Were they friends?

“Yeah. I’m good, Care.” The smaller boy blushed, biting his lip. His eyes still stuck to the ground, his cheeks still a brilliant red. 

Her eyes narrowed on Harry and he went to speak again, “Look Cara, please-”

She just shook her head again, before she looked at the other girl, “Ashley, did you see anything?” 

“Nope.” The girl grinned, hand circling around Cara’s arm. 

“Neither did I.” Cara nodded, grabbing the girl's hand and leading her further down the hallway and into an empty classroom. Both boys sighed in relief. 

“That’s it, Harry!” Louis whispered, once the girls were gone, “No more.” 

“Wait!” Harry took a step to follow Louis but paused when the smaller boy shook his head, shooting him a look over his shoulder.

But that was on Monday. Tuesday was a wash, Louis nowhere to be found. But Wednesday found Louis blowing Harry in the school library. And then Thursday found Harry inviting himself over for Louis’ family dinner, and a special dessert that left him aching for more.

This all culminating in Friday. On which day Louis found himself straddling Harry’s lap sitting in Harry’s car in the school parking lot. Harry’s hands were just tight enough, one laced through Louis’ right hand and the other grasping him closer at the back of his neck. Their makeout session had started hot and heavy nearly forty five minutes ago, but now felt more like a gentle caress. Their hands softly linked and Louis’ palm softly working over the curls at the bottom of Harry’s neck. 

The taller boy had a tendency to moan lowly into Louis’ ear causing him to readjust himself in his pants, “Honey?” 

“Yeah?” Louis whispered behind Harry’s ear gently sucking a small love bite into the space there. Goosebumps pebbling a trail down Harry's spine when the puff of Louis' breath washed over his skin.

“If you could be anything, what would you be?” Harry asked, blushing when Louis pulled back and looked over his face. It may have seemed like a random question but not to Harry. The curly haired boy had spent the better part of his time since meeting Louis just daydreaming. Thinking about what Louis would do after high school or what Louis would look like with his own kids. That one wasn’t a far stretch when assuming he’d be like how he was with the twins. 

Harry found tears in his eyes just two days ago when he woke from a dream where Louis was his husband. It was terribly premature to be thinking these thoughts but Harry feared he might be in love. He certainly was in love with the dream he had of the two of them living a solitary and lovely life on some distant island. Where Louis would bring light to a dreary landscape and they would dance on seaside cliffs. 

“If I could be anything, I would be happy.” Louis felt embarrassed by how cliché it sounded but that was the truth. 

“What would make you happy?” Harry whispered, like anything louder would startle Louis back into that hardened boy who just rolled his eyes when Harry asked his questions. 

“Mmmm.” Louis hummed, staring at his fingers curling Harry’s school tie around his palm, “I would be happy if I knew without a doubt that my family was safe.”

“You don’t feel safe?” Harry asked, no wonder. Their neighborhood wasn’t exactly a safe place to live. There was no net to catch the blue eyed wonder if he fell, no safe place to go.

“Umm- I guess I’m just anxious that my--that the twins and Niall will get taken away, put in foster care.” Louis shrugged, fist tightening with nerves, “I could petition for guardianship now that I’m eighteen but I need to prove that I make enough money and that I have a place for them to live.” 

“You have your house, right?” 

“Umm technically that house is in the name of my great aunt ginger, so I’m not sure that would even count in my favor.” Louis bit his lip, “I just can’t risk it, because I’d be proving my parents aren’t equipped to handle them in the process, so if they decide that I can’t take care of them then I’ll lose them for real.” 

Harry cupped Louis’ jaw in his hands, pressing a thumb over the single tear on his face, “Can I help?” 

“No,” Louis shook his head, wiping his nose quickly, “Sorry, umm tell me Mr. Captain, what would you be? If you could be anything.”

Harry paused but decided that speaking further on the other subject would just make Louis angry or depressed, so he thought for a second and muttered, “If I could be anything I would be free.” 

Louis hummed something that sounded like it was supposed to be a chuckle, “Do you think we’ll ever be?”

“Happy and Free?” Harry asked, and the second long pause between Louis’ nod and Harry's response, the taller boy thought of a future with Louis, of his dream. Pressing his palm up to Louis’ cheek, he whispered, “I’m happy with you. Are you free with me?” 

Harry jumped as his door flew open, Camille's voice spilling into his room, “Haz, you haven’t been answering your phone all night, so your mom let me in. It’s Friday! I’m not letting you stay in all weekend like you have been!” 

Her quick strides across the room brought her behind Harry before he could switch tabs on his computer, “What’re you looking up? Adoption? Thinking about kids already, babe?” 

Harry gulped closing his laptop and turning in his chair, “There are a lot of kids that need to be adopted in the US.” 

“Yeah.” Camille nodded, “But they’re all like from bad homes and stuff. They’re bad kids. Even the babies are born addicted to drugs. Don’t you want a little baby of your own?” 

Harry just shrugged, “I guess.”

Camille dropped into his lap and pressed a kiss to his lips, they felt wrong now. Especially after the almost hour long make out he had with Louis today, “Harry?” 

“Yeah, Cam?” Harry asked, gulping again nervously. 

“Babe, I told you not to call me that.” She huffed, “What is this bruise, here, behind your ear? Where did you get it?” 

Harry licked his lips, maybe this was his chance to come clean, so he whispered, “Louis.” 

“Louis?” Camille sat back a little to look him over, “You didn’t tell me you used the hall pass I gave you. How did it go?” 

Harry didn’t answer, growing a little upset like his girlfriend asking him that was an invasion in his relationship with Louis. Like she didn’t deserve to have his name on her lips, “Uhhh…” 

“That bad?” She laughed a little cruelly, “I bet. He looks like a total virgin.” 

Harry bristled at the comment, “Come on.” 

Camille mistook Harry’s reaction for admission of guilt or displeasure and ran with it, “Aww, babe, you don’t have to feel guilty. I’m not mad.” 

Harry just nodded, biting his lip and biding his time. Guilt sank thick in his stomach, if he even had an ounce of the courage Louis had to get through a single day, then maybe he would have said something. Maybe Louis' deserved someone better than him. 

“So how’re you and Alex doing?” Louis asked, splayed out and unbuckled in the passenger seat of Dom’s 2003 Camry. The older boy picked Louis up from the diner and drove him home on his way by. 

“Alex and I are ok.” Dom shrugged, “He wants it to be more official, I think.” 

“He wants to be your boyfriend?” Louis smirked, poking Dom’s ribs. 

“Yeah…” Dom sighed, he didn’t seem happy, “I just don’t know if I’m ready for it.” 

“I think you’d be cute together.” Louis stated, easily, “I’d be sad though because I wouldn’t get to ride your cock anymore.” 

“You have an absolutely foul mouth, Louis.” Dom chuckled tiredly, without looking he reached over to brush steady fingers through Louis’ hair. He always got into this sort of mood after recording. He had a persona that he put on when he’d perform and record as YungBlud but afterwards when he was alone he’d get quiet, contemplative, “How do those fancy people even stand you.” 

Louis scoffed, “They’re worse than me and they don’t want to hear me talk. They think I’m shy and quiet. A good little scholarship kid.” Louis grinned up at the other boy. 

“Not your fancy boy though, right?” Dom asked, raising his eyebrows, “Niall told me he’s been around lately. You fucking him?” 

Louis shrugged, biting his lip, “Maybe.” 

“You gonna date him?” Dom asked, pulling up in front of Louis’ house. They both watched the lights from the TV flicker through the curtains. 

“No.” Louis laughed, “I don’t have time or money for dating. You know that.” 

“But you would?” Dom asked, finally taking his eyes off his hands, “You’d date him and not me?” 

“Dom.” Louis sighed, “You don’t want to date me.” 

“You know I do.” Dom shot him a sad smile, but even now Louis knew Dom was destined for greater things. He was meant for more than just a half assed relationship with his childhood crush, who'd be spending the better years of his life raising his younger siblings. He wasn't meant to be kept back, to be at home raising children. Louis knew the older boy would be something some day and he'd be doing the world a disservice by stifling his career before it even began, “I would date you. Take care of you.” 

Louis just pat over the other man’s shoulder, a sad but finite smile on his lips, “We can still fuck, Dom.”

Dom just shrugged, shaking his head, “Maybe I’ll give Alex a try then.” 

Louis smiled, opening the door, “I think that’s a good idea.” 

“You too tired tonight?” Dom asked, with a real smile, “For one last go?” 

“Not tonight. Love you, Dom.” Louis yawned, dramatically. 

“Love you too, Lou.” Dom waited until Louis was inside to drive away. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Galentine's day! 
> 
> xoxo

After waving Dom off, Louis climbed the steps and pushed through the door. He was prepared to throw some leftovers Niall’s way then crawl into bed after his thirteen-hour shift. Instead he was met with Niall, the twins, and Harry, “What’re you doing here?” 

Harry looked up with a grin, “Movie night!” 

“Movie night?” Louis asked, seeing Ollie fast asleep on Harry’s lap and Rosie not far behind against his shoulder, “It’s 11:30 at night. The girls should have been to sleep hours ago.” 

Niall just shrugged from his spot on the arm chair, “They wanted to watch.” 

Louis finally looked up and noticed they were watching Stepbrothers, “Guys, this isn’t appropriate!”

“They’ve been asleep since Moana.” Harry explained, shooting Louis a soft smile. His head lulling lazily onto his shoulder. If he didn’t know better, he’d say this is just where Harry belonged, lazily stretched out between the twins on his stained and battered old couch. 

Louis just shook his head, rolling his eyes, “Ok, guess I’ll put them to bed, then.” 

“Don’t get all pissy.” Niall sighed standing and walking over to pick Ollie up, “I’ll put them to bed.” 

Louis jumped when an arm raised from behind the coffee table, another tired voice announcing, “I’ll help!” 

“Zayn!” Louis gasped, “What the hell? Does your mom know you’re here.” 

“Mom hasn’t been home in weeks.” Zayn quirked a smile, pulling Rosie up from her spot on the couch. 

“She drinking again?” Louis asked, knowing that every so often Niall’s best friend’s mom would go on a binge leaving her kids to fend for themselves. Zayn’s dad, too busy with gambling and running a small corner store to do more than the bare minimum, “Where’re your older sisters?” 

“Safaa just had a baby and got shacked up with the daddy and Doniya’s living with her sugar daddy down town.” Zayn explained, with a nonchalant look before grabbing Rosie’s outstretched arms and pulling her up.

“Ok, you can sleep here until she comes back.” Louis sighed, both the boys laughing at his words, “What?” 

“He’s been sleeping here all week, Lou.” Niall hiked Ollie up higher on his hip. 

“He has?” Louis looked at Zayn trying to remember if he noticed, “Did I know that?”

“You’ve been too busy obsessing over whether or not Harry likes you…” Niall mocked. 

“Aww, honey.” Harry chuckled with a cheesy grin. His dimples deepening into happy little craters. Green eyes stuck on his face since the moment he walked into the room.

“Ok, one Niall is a compulsive liar.” Louis shot Niall a dirty look when he tried to protest, “and two, go to bed.” 

Harry followed Louis up the stairs after helping him pick up the remnants of dinner not even half an hour later, Louis sassing, “Did I invite you?” 

Harry pouted, tilting his chin up as Louis had the height advantage on the stairs, “Please let me stay, Lou.” 

The smaller boy huffed and rolled his eyes angrily but continued up the stairs. Once inside the small room, Louis closed the door and turned on Harry, “What’re you doing, Harry?”

The taller boy sat on the bed, “What do you mean?” 

“I mean what are you doing, Harry?” Louis shook his head, unabashedly changing into his pajamas, “What are you doing here?” 

“Well, I knew you were working so I brought food for the kiddos.” Harry ginned, eyes tracking Louis’ movements around the small room. Lingering shamelessly on Louis’ boxer clad ass.

“Why?” 

“Why does Dom do it?” Harry asked, shrugging and pulling his eyes away when Louis squinted at him. Embarrassed because there was no doubt that there was jealousy in his voice.

“Is that what this is about? Dom?” 

“Nope.” Harry pouted, “I just brought better and healthier food for your kids--” 

“My siblings!” 

“Your siblings.” Harry corrected, smiling diplomatically, “I just want to make you happy.” 

“Ok fine.” Louis stopped in front of Harry, the taller boy widening his legs for Louis to stand between them, “Now what? You expect me to put out because you fed my siblings?” 

“Nope.” Harry grinned some more, staring up at Louis in what could only be adoration. His fingers inching their way up his thighs until they paused just under his butt.

“Nope?” 

“Nope, I expect you to put out because you can’t stop thinking about me and you love my hands on your body.” Harry emphasized his point by easily slipping his hands under Louis’ two sizes too big night shirt, leaving goosebumps in the wake of his path. Louis blushed, ducking his head and trying to hide a smile, that was smooth. Harry took that moment to pull Louis onto his lap, landing kisses up his neck, “You look lovely, tonight.” 

Louis shook his head, nosing into Harry’s curls, “Two different children threw milkshakes at me and I haven’t slept in a week. I look like shit.” 

Large fingers slipped into a firm grip at the back of Louis’ head, his other hand firm against Louis’ ass, “You, Louis Tomlinson, are the sweetest creature I’ve ever laid my eyes on.” Louis sobered up at the comment, pursing his lips, “What’s with that look, honey?” 

“What’re we doing, Harry?” Louis whispered into the air between them. 

“We’re making each other happy. It’s all we can do, right?” Harry grinned but that didn’t sit right with Louis. Harry still had a girlfriend. Harry would never belong to Louis. Not in this universe at least. 

“Harry.” Louis shook his head. 

“Louis.” Harry finally breathed out, an earnestness on his face that Louis didn’t recognize. Harry was almost always happy and grinning. At the very least a soft smile made itself a happy home on the green-eyed boy’s face. This look though was unfamiliar. too utterly serious, “Just let me adore you.” 

So, Louis nodded, he could do that for at least tonight, “Ok.”

“Do you think you could take next Saturday off?” Harry asked quietly, fingers tracing Louis’ sides. 

“I don’t know, H.” Louis finally pulled away settling onto the bed, “I need the money.” 

“I could pay you.” Harry bit his lip, crawling up the short distance between them, coming to lean over Louis, framing his head with his hands. 

“I’m not a prostitute.” Louis repeated. 

“But your time is valuable to me.” Harry muttered, dropping down onto my elbow, hooking his leg around one of Louis’. How many times could two people have the same conversation?

“Hmm.” He rolled onto his side, just a breath between them, “What would we be doing?” Louis pressed a soft kiss onto Harry’s cupid bow, the taller boy tilting his head up to press his lips fully against Louis’.

He’d heard about it and seen it in movies, when you kiss the person you love there should be fireworks, electricity. When Harry had kissed Camille, he felt nervous and when he’d kissed Mitch that one time, he’d been too drunk to think. But when he kissed Louis, there was magic. It wasn’t fireworks, it wasn’t an out of body experience. It was like if forever only consisted of the next few moments than that’d be enough. Like nothing could ever be wrong when he had his hands on Louis’ hips, his lips on Louis’ skin.

Harry broke the kiss, eyes raking over Louis’ rapidly heating face, “What? Does my breath stink?”

“No.” Harry gulped, “I want to take you somewhere.” Harry nuzzled Louis’ nose with his own.

“For the day?” 

“Well, we’d leave Friday night and get back Sunday night.” Harry’s grin fell when Louis instantly shook his head. 

“The kids, Harry. I can’t leave them.” 

“They can come!” Harry nodded. 

“They can come?” Louis raised his eyebrows, “Where are we going?” 

“My family has a house on an island just south of Cuba.” Harry explained, Louis’ eyebrows raising in surprise, “Sarah wants to get tan before prom so I offered to fly her and Mitch out for the weekend back in September." 

“And Camille doesn’t want to come?” Louis asked, incredulously. 

“She says flying makes her bloated.” Harry rolled his eyes, “But regardless, I think I’m going to break up with her.” 

“You are?” Louis bit his lip trying to conceal that stupid little hopeful part of him that desperately wanted that to be true.

“Yeah.” Harry pressed a kiss to Louis’ cheek, “So come with us!” 

“The girls will like it, but I don’t think Niall will want to come and I can’t leave him alone.” 

“He can bring his friend Zayn!” Harry was growing more excited as the reasons to not come disappeared, “Everyone will have someone to play with.” Louis huffed, trying to think of another reason to not go and failing so he nodded his assent. Harry cheered softly rolling Louis onto Harry’s front, as his back landed against the mattress, “You won’t regret it, honey!” 

_Louis sat on the front porch, eyes burning from the forty-eight hours straight he’s been awake. He had a math test today that he’d spent hours preparing for, between watching toddlers. His hands shook as he held his phone staring at the contact, he knew he shouldn’t call._

_He knew he wasn’t allowed to call, but he was just fifteen years old and Liam was gone._

_He felt the vibration of the dial tone more than the sound, but then she answered, in a low whisper “Louis? Is that you?”_

_“Gemma?” He sniffled pathetically._

_“Why’re you crying, Lou?” He heard the ruffle of a comforter, of course she was sleeping. It was almost one in the morning._

_“I need help.” He whispered, trying to hide a sob in his knuckle._

_“What’s wrong. Talk to me?”_

_“She’s been running a fever for a day now and she won’t stop crying.” Louis’ teeth chattered with anxiety, “I don’t know what to do.”_

_“Rosie or Ollie?” Gemma asked, Rosie was always fussy._

_“Ollie.” He whimpered, “Please, I know he said not to call you but I just need help.”_

_“Bring her to the hospital, Lou.” Gemma decided, Ollie was never fussy even as a little baby. If she was crying, then something was wrong._

_“I don’t want to go alone.” Louis’ sobs racked his body, “Please, come? Please, Gemma."_

_“I can’t come, Lou.” Gemma murmured, “I know it’s not fair but you need to bring her to the hospital.”_

_“Please.” Louis bit through his teeth, “Please, come.”_

_“Louis...” and that was all he needed to hear, his phone leaving his hand in anger. Shattering to pieces against the concrete outside his house._

_“I’ll go with you.” Niall’s voice made Louis jump, finally noticing his eleven-year-old brother in the doorway, “I’ll go with you and if we need to leave quickly then I can make a distraction.”_

_“Ok.” Louis nodded, voice wavering as he stood and pulled Niall into a hug, “Ok. We’ll be ok.”_

"I don’t think he’s coming, Haz.” Sarah sighed, they’d been ok’d for takeoff over half an hour ago and still sat waiting for Louis to arrive. 

“He said he was coming.” Harry whispered, staring out the window, “He’s coming.” 

“Did you call him?” Mitch asked, eyes not leaving the FIFA game he was currently losing on one of the private jet’s TVs. 

“His phones not on.” Harry perked up seeing a group emerge from the parking lot, “There he is!” 

“Who is he with?” Sarah ducked watching the pack of people approaching the plane.

“Oh yeah,” He smiled, nervously, “He’s bringing his siblings and one of his brother’s friends.” 

Mitch actually paused the game, looking to Harry with a smirk, “Oh, Hazza, you have it bad.” 

“What do you mean?” Harry was offended, standing and walking to the door to help the girls on the plane, but Mitch grabbed his wrist to stop him. 

The smile on Mitch’s face faded, his best friend looking between his eyes, “Don’t let him break your heart, Haz.” 

Harry shook his head, grinning, “He can’t break what he doesn’t have.” 

It took only minutes to watch the girls settle, little eyes fixed on some Disney movie Harry didn’t recognize. Then, Niall and Zayn settled across from Sarah and Mitch playing a round of gin rummy, their volume getting louder by the round. Louis rolled his eyes and looked deadly when he saw Niall produce what could only be an edible from his pocket. The four splitting it and giggling away like little kids. 

“I told him not to bring that.” Louis huffed, like a mother about to chastise their kid. He didn’t move from his spot though, eyes trying to bore holes into the side of his brother’s head. Harry purposefully placed the other boy on the inside seat, so that with just a small adjustment he could effectively block the blue-eyed boy from the rest of the moderately sized jet. 

“It’s ok, there’s no TSA when we fly.” Harry joked; tone still overly fond after watching Louis try to hide his reaction during takeoff. This was obviously Louis’ first flight and his eyes grew so endearingly big and he gripped Harry’s hand so tight when the takeoff wasn’t exactly smooth. Harry’s heart hummed giddily at his little display. 

Their hands were still linked even now after twenty minutes, not that Harry was complaining. Louis just shook his head, “Still, he should know better.”

“What’s the worst that could happen?” Harry grinned, his other hand landing unceremoniously on Louis’ thigh, nothing smooth about it. Louis locked eyes with Harry and just shook his head, “Come on, Lou. Just enjoy our little escape.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting spicy next chapter
> 
> Thank you for all the feedback I love to hear it! Hope you're all doing well

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave Kudos and comments if you like it or if you have constructive criticism. I'm always working to better my stories!


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